Nigerian-owned supertanker, Skipper, has been intercepted by the US Coast Guard, in collaboration with the US Navy, over allegations of crude oil theft, piracy, and other transnational crimes.
The 20-year-old Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC), with IMO Number 9304667, is reportedly owned and managed by Nigeria-based Thomarose Global Ventures Ltd., though its registered owner is listed as Triton Navigation Corp., headquartered in the Marshall Islands.
US security sources said the seizure was carried out under American law enforcement authority, with President Donald Trump announcing the operation.
Beyond suspicions of stolen crude, the vessel is also being investigated for allegedly transporting a large consignment of hard drugs and operating within a network backed by suspected Iranian and other Islamist-linked money-laundering financiers.
Guyana’s Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) confirmed that Skipper is not on its national ship registry and was using the country’s flag without authorisation.
