A massive oil tanker, the Skipper, is on its way to Houston after being taken over by the U. S. near Venezuela. This move is part of a bigger plan to put pressure on Venezuela's leader, Nicolas Maduro.

The Skipper is carrying a huge amount of Venezuelan oil, about 1. 85 million barrels. But it's too big to dock in Houston, so it will have to park nearby and transfer the oil to smaller ships.

No one from the U. S. Coast Guard or the port in Houston has said anything about this yet. Neither has Venezuela's state oil company, PDVSA, which sold the oil.

The U. S. Attorney General said the tanker was seized using a legal order. Meanwhile, Guyana said the ship was wrongly using their flag.

This seizure has made things more tense between the U. S. and Venezuela. It seems like the U. S. is planning to stop more ships carrying Venezuelan oil.


# **Massive Oil Tanker Seized by U.S. Near Venezuela En Route to Houston**

A **massive oil tanker**, the **Skipper**, is on its way to **Houston** after being taken over by the **U.S.** near **Venezuela**. This move is part of a **bigger plan** to put **pressure on Venezuela's leader, Nicolas Maduro**.

### **Key Details:**
- **Oil Cargo:** The **Skipper** is carrying **1.85 million barrels** of **Venezuelan oil**.
- **Docking Issues:** Too big for **Houston's port**, it will **park nearby** and transfer oil to **smaller ships**.
- **Silence from Authorities:** No statements yet from the **U.S. Coast Guard**, **Houston port**, or **Venezuela's state oil company, PDVSA**.
- **Legal Justification:** The **U.S. Attorney General** claims the tanker was seized **legally**.
- **Guyana's Protest:** Guyana says the ship was **wrongly using their flag**.

### **Escalating Tensions:**
This seizure has **increased tensions** between the **U.S. and Venezuela**. The **U.S. appears to be planning** to stop **more ships carrying Venezuelan oil**.



A Giant Oil Ship's Journey to Houston

Key Details:

Escalating Tensions:

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