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A military operation by the United States concluded this week with the seizure of the Venezuelan tanker "Skipper" off the coast of Venezuela.
This action, according to research cited by The New York Times and The Economist, highlights Cuba's role within an energy and financial cooperation network between the governments of Nicolás Maduro and Havana, based on the transfer and resale of crude oil under schemes that evade sanctions and the traditional market.
According to the text, the "Skipper" set sail on December 4 with almost two million barrels of heavy oil from Venezuela. Internal documents from PDVSA and statements from industry officials collected by The New York Times identified the declared destination as the Cuban port of Matanzas, under a joint contract between Cubametales (Cuban state trading company) and a company linked to the Panamanian trader Ramón Carretero, who has been sanctioned by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
The report states that companies associated with Carretero have handled "up to a quarter" of the crude exported by PDVSA and that Cubametales has secured contracts this year for about 65,000 barrels per day, a volume that—according to the cited data—grew by 29% compared to 2024.
However, the document adds that part of the shipment allegedly destined for the Island ends up being resold in Asia, especially in China, to obtain foreign currency deemed essential to alleviate the economic situation of the Cuban regime.
During that journey, the "Skipper" transferred 50,000 barrels to the vessel Neptune 6, which then headed towards Cuba, according to the maritime data firm Kpler mentioned in the text.
The seizure occurred on December 10, when elite U.S. troops boarded the vessel from Black Hawk helicopters, without any confrontation and with no resistance from the crew—mostly composed of Russian sailors—according to The Economist.
Washington justified the action as part of its sanctions policy against Maduro and his allies: Attorney General Pam Bondi stated that the shipment included Venezuelan and Iranian crude oil moved to evade sanctions, and President Donald Trump said it was seized "for a very good reason," estimating the value of the crude at about 80 million dollars.
After the operation, Cuban authorities described what happened as a “act of piracy and maritime terrorism” and claimed that U.S. policy aims to hinder the energy exchange between Venezuela and Cuba.
Caracas, for its part, described it as “piracy” and “kidnapping” in international waters, according to the same document.
It won't be the last seizure
The text also points out that the White House and U.S. officials indicated to The Economist that action regarding the "Skipper" would not be the last, and that there are plans to intervene with other vessels linked to the Venezuelan oil export network.
The naval deployment in the Caribbean is officially presented as an anti-drug campaign, but cited sources also link it to political pressure on Maduro.
In this context, the document describes the operations of a "phantom fleet" associated with Venezuela, Iran, and Russia: ships with changing names and flags, turned-off transponders, and ownership registered under shell companies to complicate tracking and evade sanctions.
It also warns that these actions increase costs (freight, commissions, and risk premiums) and may reduce PDVSA's margin, which has even been demanding payment in advance before sailing.
Although shipments of Venezuelan crude are described as insufficient to resolve the crisis of blackouts and shortages in Cuba, they remain a f“decisive” actor for the political and financial survival of the regime, as documented by The New York Times.
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