US Moves to Forfeit Ghost Tanker Skipper and 1.8 Million Barrels Linked to Iran-Venezuela Sanctions
The U.S. Justice Department filed a civil forfeiture complaint in DC seeking the seizure of the motor tanker Skipper and about 1.8 million barrels of crude oil alleged to benefit Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (incl. IRGC-QF) via shipments tied to Venezuela’s PdVSA. The government says the Skipper used spoofed routes, false flags, and ship-to-ship transfers to evade sanctions, with oil deliveries to destinations including Syria and Cubametales; seizure occurred in December 2025. The case states the oil proceeds support terrorism and WMD proliferation, but notes a civil forfeiture is an allegation pending burden of proof in court, with FBI, HSI and interagency partners leading the investigation.