The United States Coast Guard, working alongside the U.S. Navy, has intercepted the Nigerian-owned supertanker Skipper over allegations of crude oil theft, piracy, and other transnational crimes. The 20-year-old Very Large Crude Carrier (VLC) with IMO Number 9304667 is reportedly owned and managed by Nigeria-based Thomarose Global Ventures Ltd., although its registered owner is listed as Triton Navigation Corp., headquartered in the Marshall Islands.
Authorities said the tanker was illegally flying the Guyanese flag at the time of the interception. Guyana’s Maritime Administration Department confirmed that Skipper is not registered under its flag and was using it without authorization.
U.S. security sources stated that the seizure was carried out under American law enforcement authority, with President Donald Trump announcing the operation on December 10, 2025. Investigators are probing the vessel not only for stolen crude but also for allegedly transporting a significant shipment of hard drugs and operating within a network linked to Iranian and other Islamist-backed money laundering financiers.
Records from Nigeria’s Corporate Affairs Commission indicate that Thomarose Global Ventures Ltd. is currently inactive.
