U.S. Special Forces seizes sanctioned tanker in Helicopter raid from USS Ford off Venezuela.

U.S. forces have seized the sanctioned oil tanker Skipper in international waters off Venezuela, using MH-60S Seahawk helicopters from the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford to fast-rope boarding teams onto the VLCC. The high-profile operation, which Washington links to Iranian-backed oil smuggling and terrorist financing, signals a more aggressive U.S. posture against adversaries' energy flows in the Caribbean region.

The United States has carried out a rare, highly choreographed seizure of a very large crude carrier off Venezuela, boarding the sanctioned tanker Skipper from MH-60S Seahawk helicopters launched by the USS Gerald R. Ford after the vessel sailed from the port of Jose with more than a million barrels of crude oil on board. Announced publicly by President Donald Trump and later detailed in Justice Department and Coast Guard statements, the operation is framed by Washington as a lawful high-seas interdiction targeting an Iranian-linked smuggling network that funnels oil revenues to terrorist organizations and criminal structures, and by Caracas as an act of “international piracy” and theft of Venezuelan resources.
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Visible features in the videos point to a helicopter from the U.S. Navy MH-60 Seahawk family, most likely an MH-60S from a Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron embarked on the Gerald R. Ford (Picture source: US DoJ)

Footage released by Attorney General Pam Bondi shows a particularly forceful boarding sequence, unusually demonstrative for a sanctions-enforcement operation. A helicopter hovers at very low altitude above the main deck of the very large crude carrier, fast ropes are immediately deployed, and several operators slide down within seconds. Troops in camouflage spread out across the width of the ship with weapons at the ready, move toward the superstructure, secure the access points, and push on to the bridge. A second aerial platform films the scene, suggesting careful planning of the insertion and an intention to produce a highly visible sequence for both the U.S. public and foreign governments.

The operation begins that same morning, shortly after Skipper leaves the Venezuelan terminal. The raid is launched from the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, deployed for several weeks in the Caribbean, giving U.S. forces a continuous ability to intercept targets far from shore. Two helicopters carry a boarding force made up of ten members of the U.S. Coast Guard Maritime Security Response Team, ten Marines, and a core of special operations personnel. Legally, the Coast Guard retains control of the mission, since the authorities used fall under its remit, while the U.S. Navy provides the sea-based platform, the aircrews, and the protective bubble around the tanker.

Visible features in the videos point to a helicopter from the U.S. Navy MH-60 Seahawk family, most likely an MH-60S from a Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron embarked on the Gerald R. Ford. This twin-engine aircraft is designed for surface missions, support to boarding operations, and short-range anti-surface warfare, with the ability to fly for several hours at economical speed and to maintain precise hover over a ship. Its configuration with an open side door, a door gunner, and a fast-rope bar makes it well suited to inserting a heavily equipped boarding team onto a tanker’s deck while retaining immediate fire capability to deter any armed resistance to the seizure.

The choice of this helicopter type increases the tactical flexibility of the system. An MH-60S can be refuelled and rearmed quickly on an aircraft carrier, which allows frequent cycles of insertion, overwatch, and extraction around the targeted vessel. Its onboard sensors, particularly the infrared and TV electro-optical turrets mounted under the nose or on the side, provide strong situational awareness to track movements on deck, detect approaching small craft and guide operators during the clearing phase. The same platform can, if the situation deteriorates, switch to a close air support role by using its door-mounted weapons against a localized threat.

The tanker’s profile also shapes the way the boarding is conducted. Skipper, built in 2005 under the name The Toyo, is a VLCC about 333 meters long, capable of carrying up to two million barrels of crude. Its high freeboard, long side walkways, and dense superstructure make a classic ladder boarding from a patrol vessel impractical. Rappelling allows the boarding party to secure the main deck immediately, then lock down the stairways leading to the bridge. They then clear the ship level by level, paying particular attention to sensitive spaces such as the chart room, the radio control room, and the technical access points to propulsion systems.

Inside, the teams have to manage a highly compartmentalized environment. The internal volumes of a VLCC consist of narrow passageways, technical rooms, and blind corners, which impose a slow and methodical clearing rhythm. Operators from the Maritime Security Response Team are trained for this kind of close-quarters combat in metal structures, where acoustics and dead angles complicate threat detection. Radio support from the helicopter and the aircraft carrier maintains an overall picture of the situation, helps control the crew, allows rapid identity checks, and ensures that there is no attempt to sabotage critical systems, especially in the engine room.

Caracas reacts sharply, describing the seizure as international piracy and a “shameless theft” of Venezuelan resources, and announces its intention to take the case to several international organizations. Washington maintains that Skipper is part of a sanctioned oil transport network at the intersection of Iranian, Russian, and Venezuelan interests, and that the operation forms part of a broader campaign to cut off financial flows used to support terrorist groups and narcotics structures. The official U.S. narrative stresses the legality of the seizure warrant and the controlled conduct of the action, presented as a law enforcement operation on the high seas rather than an act of war.

The episode highlights a tactical shift in the U.S. posture in the Caribbean. By combining a latest-generation aircraft carrier, MH-60 Seahawk assault helicopters, and units specialized in high-risk boardings, Washington shows its readiness to employ strategic-level assets to strike directly at the energy flows of its opponents. This long-range interdiction capability tightens U.S. control over regional oil routes, but it also increases the risk of incidents or naval counter-measures from actors who may choose to escort their own ships. The crisis around Skipper thus forms part of a broader confrontation in which sea lines of communication, tankers, and boarding capabilities become central instruments of geopolitical competition in the Western Hemisphere.

Written By Erwan Halna du Fretay - Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group

Erwan Halna du Fretay is a graduate of a Master’s degree in International Relations and has experience in the study of conflicts and global arms transfers. His research interests lie in security and strategic studies, particularly the dynamics of the defense industry, the evolution of military technologies, and the strategic transformation of armed forces.