GEORGETOWN – Guyana’s maritime authority has sharply condemned the unauthorized use of its national flag by the supertanker Skipper, which was seized this week by the United States while carrying Venezuelan crude oil.
In an official statement on Wednesday, the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) said it had been alerted by U.S. authorities that the vessel — intercepted off the Venezuelan coast — was falsely sailing under the Guyanese flag.
MARAD expressed alarm over what it described as a growing and “unacceptable trend” of ships illegally using Guyana’s flag despite not being registered in the country. The agency said it intends to take action to address and deter the unauthorized practice.
The Skipper, a massive crude carrier loaded with approximately two million barrels of Venezuelan Merey heavy crude, was seized amid escalating U.S. pressure on the Maduro government. The tanker had already been sanctioned for its alleged involvement in transporting Iranian oil.
Guyana emphasized that it had no connection to the vessel’s operations and reaffirmed that misuse of its maritime registry poses risks to its international reputation and maritime security.
The seizure of the Skipper comes amid heightened tensions in the region, with increased U.S. military enforcement against Venezuelan-linked trafficking operations and growing geopolitical implications for neighboring Caribbean nations, including Curaçao.