The United States Coast Guard, working alongside the U.S. Navy, has detained a Nigerian-owned supertanker named Skipper over allegations of crude oil theft, piracy, and other transnational offences. The vessel, a 20-year-old Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) with IMO Number 9304667, is said to be owned and operated by Lagos-based Thomarose Global Ventures Ltd., although official records list its registered owner as Triton Navigation Corp., based in the Marshall Islands.
Authorities disclosed that the tanker was unlawfully flying the Guyanese flag at the time it was apprehended. Guyana’s Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) later confirmed that Skipper is not part of its national ship registry and that the vessel had been using the country’s flag without permission.U.S. security officials stated that the interception was carried out under American law enforcement authority. President Donald Trump publicly announced the operation on December 10, 2025.
Beyond the suspicion of stolen crude, investigators are also looking into claims that the tanker was transporting a substantial quantity of hard drugs and was operating within a network allegedly tied to Iranian and other Islamist-backed money laundering groups. A review of records from Nigeria’s Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) shows that Thomarose Global Ventures Ltd. is currently listed as inactive.
Source: https://thesun.ng/
