The United States Coast Guard, working alongside the U.S. Navy, has intercepted a Nigerian-owned supertanker, Skipper, over suspected crude oil th£ft, p+racy, and other transnational crimes.
The 20-year-old Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC), bearing IMO Number 930****, is said to be owned and managed by Nigeria-based Thomarose Global Ventures Ltd., though its registered owner is listed as Triton Navigation Corp. in the Marshall Islands.
Officials also revealed that the vessel was illegally flying the Guyanese flag at the time of interception.
Guyana’s Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) later confirmed that Skipper “is not on the national ship registry” and was using the Guyanese flag without authorization.
U.S. security sources disclosed that the operation was carried out under American law enforcement authority, with President Donald Trump announcing the seizure on 10 December 2025.
Beyond suspicions of stolen crude, investigators are probing claims that the tanker transported a significant quantity of hard dr¥gs and operated within a criminal network allegedly linked to Iranian and other Islamist-backed money-laundering financiers.
A search of Nigeria’s Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) records shows that Thomarose Global Ventures Ltd. is currently listed as inactive.
