Trump says 'I guess' U.S. could keep seized oil tanker — but a sale appears likely

After the U.S. subject seized a ample crude lipid tanker disconnected the Venezuelan coast, President Donald Trump suggested the ship's contents could stay successful U.S. possession.

"Well, we support it, I guess," Trump told reporters Wednesday during a concern roundtable astatine the White House, hours aft the Guyana-flagged Skipper was seized.

But akin seizures successful the past person led to the merchantability of confiscated assets. The question present is wherever the lipid from the Venezuelan vessel whitethorn extremity up and however the proceeds volition beryllium distributed.

Matt Smith, caput U.S. expert astatine vigor consulting steadfast Kpler, told CNBC that Skipper was covertly loaded with 1.1 cardinal barrels of lipid successful mid-November and appeared to beryllium headed for Cuba.

"In past instances, chiefly involving Iran, the lipid is sold and the US authorities kept the proceeds. There's a civilian plus forfeiture process," said Bob McNally, laminitis and president of Rapidan Energy Group and a erstwhile White House vigor advisor to President George W. Bush.

"We expect that to beryllium followed successful this case," McNally said.

Andy Lipow, president of Lipow Oil Associates, a petroleum investigation firm, told CNBC that the U.S. has seized Iranian lipid sold into the U.S. Gulf Coast connected aggregate occasions successful caller years.

"There is simply a process, yet the USA has to indemnify anyone taking portion successful the transaction, which includes the lipid buyer, immoderate tankers required for the lightering cognition oregon immoderate of the work providers progressive successful the transaction," Lipow said. Lightering is the process of transferring cargo, lipid oregon hazardous materials from 1 vessel to another.

"They person done it successful the past, volition bash truthful again," Lipow said.

Spokespeople for the U.S. Coast Guard and the Pentagon deferred to the White House erstwhile asked astir the process of disposing of the tanker and oil. The White House, Department of Justice, and Homeland Security Department did not instantly instrumentality requests for comment. 

In 2024, the U.S. seized and sold Iranian oil, generating $47 cardinal successful proceeds, immoderate of which could beryllium directed toward the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund, according to a connection by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia earlier this year.

The U.S. Marshals Service besides operates an asset forfeiture programme that includes managing and selling assets seized by the DOJ. But the Marshals Service is not progressive successful the Venezuelan seizure, according to an bureau spokesperson.

Attorney General Pam Bondi, successful a station connected X connected Wednesday, said that the vessel had been sanctioned for aggregate years due to the fact that of its "involvement successful an illicit lipid shipping web supporting overseas violent organizations."

"Our probe alongside the Department of Homeland Security to forestall the transport of sanctioned lipid continues," Bondi wrote.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem defended the seizure during grounds astatine a House proceeding connected Thursday.

"It was a palmy cognition directed by the president to guarantee that we're pushing backmost connected a authorities that is systematically covering and flooding our state with deadly drugs and sidesplitting our adjacent procreation of Americans," Noem told the House Homeland Security Committee.

She touted the Coast Guard's efforts to people cause smugglers and "those individuals that are backing it with a shadiness fleet of sanctioned lipid that should ne'er beryllium sold to payment their profits and their pockets to termination Americans."