Trump Administration Targets ‘Ghost Ships’ Smuggling Sanctioned Oil from Russia, Iran, and Venezuela
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A shadowy fleet of nearly 1,000 oil tankers known as “ghost ships” that ferry crude oil from sanctioned countries including Russia, Iran, and Venezuela has come under renewed scrutiny by the Trump administration. On December 10, President Donald Trump announced the seizure of the tanker Skipper, a vessel implicated in smuggling Venezuelan crude oil despite U.S. sanctions.
This clandestine armada operates by flying fake foreign flags, registering ownership through shell companies, disabling tracking transponders, and conducting mid-sea transfers to obscure the origins and destinations of their cargo. Such tactics create a complex web of deception designed to evade international sanctions and regulatory oversight.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that the oil aboard the seized tanker will be retained by the United States as part of a forfeiture process. She emphasized that a full investigative team is currently on the ground working to dismantle these illicit operations. The seizure of the Skipper is viewed as a strategic move to disrupt the flow of oil revenues that sustain regimes in Moscow, Tehran, and Caracas.
Experts like Benjamin Jensen, director of the Futures Lab at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, have highlighted the broader implications of this crackdown. Jensen noted that the problem of sanction evasion through ghost ships extends beyond Venezuela and represents a global challenge that demands coordinated international action. He underscored that even a single interdiction can significantly impact Venezuela’s oil-dependent economy, sending a strong message to other actors engaged in similar illicit trade.
“Anything you do that puts pressure on their ability to bypass sanctions and trade in oil is a direct threat to the economy and, by extension, the regime,” Jensen said. The Trump administration’s move signals the possibility of further seizures and intensified efforts to choke off illicit oil shipments.
The use of ghost ships has complicated enforcement of sanctions, as these vessels frequently change names and ownership, operate under flags of convenience, and disable Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponders to avoid detection. This has made tracking and interdicting sanctioned shipments a persistent challenge for agencies such as the U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
With Venezuela’s economy heavily reliant on oil exports, the seizure of vessels like the Skipper not only disrupts illicit trade but also exerts economic pressure on the Maduro regime. The Trump administration’s actions align with broader efforts to enforce sanctions rigorously and cut off financial lifelines to authoritarian governments.
As the United States continues to pursue these enforcement measures, the international community watches closely. The evolving tactics of ghost ship operators underscore the need for enhanced maritime domain awareness and cooperation among nations to uphold sanctions and maintain the integrity of global energy markets.
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