The tanker SKIPPER (IMO 9304667), carrying 1.85 million barrels of Venezuelan crude oil and described as the first vessel seized off Venezuela's coast, arrived at the Galveston Offshore Lightering Area off Texas during the reporting window ending at 2:46 PM UTC on December 21, 2025, to transfer its cargo to smaller tankers for delivery to Houston refineries, according to an update from X account @TheIntelFrog. The vessel was seized in international waters east of Barbados after loading Merey crude at Jose, Venezuela, under the false identification Crag while flying the Panamanian flag as super tanker VLCC Centuries, X user @HeverCastroB stated in a detailed thread posted within the past 90 minutes. Separately, 20 U.S. F-35 jets—comprising 10 F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing variants and 12 F-35A conventional models—arrived on the ground at the former Roosevelt Roads naval base in Ceiba, Puerto Rico, joining other U.S. military aircraft there, as reported by X user @Arr3ch0 citing Reuters photos and video. These developments follow a shipping advisory earlier today halting shipments to Venezuela due to an uncertain situation and an X post questioning the origin of new arms loaded into President Nicolás Maduro's palace in Caracas, with serial numbers painted over and an Iranian flag emoji included.
