'Spoof' ship: Seized oil tanker Skipper hid location data, visited Iran and Venezuela

The large crude oil tanker that U.S. forces seized connected Wednesday disconnected the seashore of Venezuela since 2024 has shown a "clear pattern" of spoofing its determination to fell wherever it really was, according to a starring vigor consulting firm.

And information suggests that the Guyana-flagged tanker identified arsenic "Skipper" since 2022 has carried sanctioned lipid from Iran and Venezuela.

The lipid industries of some nations are nether U.S. sanctions, and Skipper has been nether authorisation by the Office of Foreign Assets Control since 2022.

Matt Smith, caput U.S. expert astatine the consulting steadfast Kpler said Skipper was covertly loaded with 1.1 cardinal barrels of lipid successful mid-November.

Smith said the vessel appeared to beryllium headed for Cuba, though it has been stopped offshore Venezuela since it was loaded.

In the past 2 years, determination person been a full of much than 80 days successful which determination is grounds of Skipper engaging successful alleged AIS spoofing to obscure its location, according to Kpler data.

AIS, oregon automatic recognition system data, provides real-time accusation astir a ship's determination and includes the vessel's name, course, speed, classification, telephone sign, and registration number, according to the U.S. Coast Guard's website.

During the clip that the Skipper's existent determination was hidden connected the AIS network, determination were aggregate ship-to-ship transfers of cargo, according to Kpler data.

The Skipper displayed "a wide signifier of deceptive operations that went acold beyond what its AIS transmissions claimed," said Dimitris Ampatzidis, Kpler's manager for hazard and compliance.

In 2024, 3 AIS spoofings by the Skipper were recorded successful Egypt, Iran, the Mediterranean Sea, Ghana, and Nigeria, according to Kpler.

"Falisified positions were broadcast, peculiarly done extended AIS spoofing episodes," said Ampatzidis. "The Skipper engaged successful activities wholly inconsistent with its declared voyage, including sanctioned loadings successful Iran and Venezuela.

"These behaviours signifier a coherent picture: a vas intentionally engineered to run extracurricular transparency, utilizing integer manipulation and covert logistics to disguise sanctioned crude flows nether the quality of mean maritime traffic," Ampatzidis said.

Port telephone information from 2025 shows that Skipper transported lipid retired of the ports of Jose successful Venezuela and Kharg Island successful Iran, according to Kpler data.

In 2024, larboard calls for Skipper included Banias Port successful Syria and Kharg Island successful Iran. And successful 2023, Skipper visited the Port of Jose successful Venezuela.

The Skipper is owned by Marshall Islands-based Triton Navigation Corp, and the beneficial cargo owner, vas manager, and relation is Nigeria-based Thomarose Global Ventures Ltd., according to Kpler data.

Triton Navigation has been connected the OFAC sanctions database since November 2022.

"I judge that the intent of seizing a sanctioned lipid tanker is to marque lipid buyers and tanker owners operating successful the shadiness fleet wary of loading Venezuelan crude oil,  reducing the Maduro government's revenues and yet hastening his exit," said Andrew Lipow, president of Lipow Oil Associates. 

"With lipid prices hovering beneath $60 per barrel, it would look the medication is not excessively disquieted astir losing Venezuelan lipid supplies to the market; determination is plentifulness of lipid around," Lipow said.

"On the different hand, China would beryllium unhappy losing entree to profoundly discounted lipid supplies."

The seizure came arsenic President Donald Trump has ramped up unit connected Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Trump has said that Maduro's "days are numbered."