The United States has asked a federal court to authorize the immediate sale of the seized shadow fleet tanker Skipper and its oil cargo, arguing that the cost of maintaining the vessel and storing the crude is rapidly eroding the value of the assets.
In a filing submitted to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on March 12, authorities requested permission for an interlocutory sale of the vessel and the cargo while the forfeiture case continues.
The very large crude carrier was seized by U.S. forces in the Caribbean in December 2025 as part of a broader campaign targeting vessels involved in transporting sanctioned Venezuelan oil.
The tanker had been carrying approximately 1.8 million barrels of Venezuelan crude oil, which has since been transferred to an onshore storage facility in the United States while legal proceedings continue.
According to the filing, the government has already spent about $47 million on repairs, maintenance and storage related to the vessel and its cargo. Additional costs of roughly $5 million could accumulate over the next two months due to insurance, crew expenses and weather risks. Storing the crude oil alone costs about $15,000 per day.
Authorities say the vessel itself is in poor condition. Built in 2005, the 310,000-dwt tanker has reportedly suffered from significant safety deficiencies that required repairs while under U.S. custody.
The vessel measures 333 metres in length and is too large to enter the Houston Ship Channel. Since late December it has been held at anchorage off the Texas coast.
The tanker had been operating without a valid flag registry since 2022 after its classification was withdrawn. Although it claimed to sail under the flag of Guyana, authorities said the registration was false. The vessel’s last known inspection took place in 2019.
The seized crude oil cargo is estimated to be worth between $120 million and $135 million depending on market prices and quality, while the tanker itself is currently valued at around $10 million.
If the court approves the request, the U.S. government would be allowed to solicit buyers for both the vessel and the cargo. Any proceeds from a sale would be placed into an interest-bearing account until the forfeiture case is resolved.
The case involving Skipper is the first of several forfeiture proceedings connected to recent U.S. seizures of tankers suspected of participating in the shadow fleet transporting sanctioned Venezuelan oil.
