U.S. Intercepts Nigerian-owned Vessel for Suspected Crude Oil Theft, Piracy, Others

Peter Uzoho

The United States Coast Guard, in a joint operation with the U.S. Navy, has intercepted a Nigerian-owned supertanker, Skipper, following intelligence reports linking the vessel to crude oil theft, piracy, and a series of transnational criminal activities spanning multiple jurisdictions.

The Skipper, a 20-year-old Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) with IMO Number 9304667, has long operated in West African and South American waters.

Though the tanker is reportedly owned and managed by Lagos-based Thomarose Global Ventures Ltd., its official registration lists Triton Navigation Corp., headquartered in the Marshall Islands, as the owner.

At the time of the interception, the tanker was allegedly flying the Guyanese flag without authorisation. Officials from Guyana’s Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) confirmed that Skipper does not appear in the country’s ship registry, describing the vessel’s use of the flag as both illegal and deceptive.

Flag-switching, often called “flag hopping,” is a common tactic used by ships attempting to evade regulations, trade sanctions, or detection by maritime authorities.

U.S. security officials said the seizure was conducted under American law enforcement authority after a multi-agency investigation raised alarms about the tanker’s movements and cargo records.

President Donald Trump publicly announced the operation on 10 December 2025, describing it as part of a broader crackdown on illicit maritime activities targeting U.S. national security interests and the global energy supply chain.

In addition to suspected crude oil theft, a persistent problem in the Gulf of Guinea, investigators are examining whether the vessel was being used to transport a significant consignment of hard drugs.

Authorities are also exploring potential links between the tanker’s operations and an international network involving Iranian and other Islamist-aligned financiers implicated in money laundering, weapons trafficking, and the illicit oil trade.

The Skipper’s arrest has heightened scrutiny of its Nigerian manager. A Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) search shows that Thomarose Global Ventures Ltd., the company associated with the vessel, is currently inactive.

The inactive status, coupled with the opaque ownership arrangement and unauthorised flag use, has intensified questions about the company’s role and the tanker’s activities before interception.