The United States Coast Guard, working with the US Navy, has intercepted and seized a Nigerian owned supertanker named Skipper over allegations of crude oil theft and other transnational crimes. The 20 year old Very Large Crude Carrier, which has long operated in West African and South American waters, was taken under US law enforcement authority after a multi agency investigation raised red flags about its movements and cargo records.
US security officials said intelligence reports linked the Skipper to suspected crude theft, piracy and possible drug trafficking across several jurisdictions. Beyond concerns over stolen oil, investigators are probing whether the vessel was moving a large consignment of hard drugs and funnelling proceeds through illicit financial networks.
The tanker is said to be owned and managed in practice by Lagos based Thomarose Global Ventures Ltd, although its registered owner is listed as Triton Navigation Corp, based in the Marshall Islands. A Corporate Affairs Commission search reportedly shows Thomarose as inactive, a status that has intensified questions about the company’s role and the ship’s recent activities.
At the time of the interception, Skipper was found flying the Guyanese flag without authorisation. Guyana’s Maritime Administration Department later confirmed that the vessel does not appear in its ship registry and described the use of its flag as illegal and deceptive, a tactic consistent with “flag hopping” used by ships trying to evade regulations and sanctions.
US officials said the seizure took place after the tanker’s pattern of switching flags, opaque ownership structure and inconsistent cargo documentation triggered serious compliance concerns. President Donald Trump publicly announced the operation on December 10, calling it part of a broader crackdown on illicit maritime activities that threaten US national security and the global energy supply chain.
Investigators are also examining possible links between the Skipper’s operations and an international network involving Iranian and other Islamist aligned financiers suspected of money laundering, weapons trafficking and illegal oil trading. The case has placed fresh scrutiny on Nigerian managed tankers and regional efforts to curb crude theft in the Gulf of Guinea.
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