Evidence from credible sources supports the statement as accurate. Learn more in Methodology.
U.S. courts have issued orders authorizing seizure of named/specified vessels carrying or collecting Venezuelan oil, as shown in court dockets, indictments, or DOJ/DOJ-affiliated public filings.
Evidence from U.S. court records and reputable news reporting shows that the United States has in fact obtained court orders authorizing the seizure of at least one sanctioned vessel carrying Venezuelan oil. A seizure warrant for the Venezuelan oil tanker M/T Skipper was issued by U.S. Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, and the warrant was executed by U.S. authorities off the coast of Venezuela on December 10, 2025.
The Skipper was previously designated under U.S. sanctions (when operating as the M/T Adisa) for its role in an illicit oil network and was subsequently used to transport Venezuelan crude, as documented by Associated Press and other outlets summarizing OFAC designations. Reuters confirms that the seizure was carried out pursuant to that judge-signed warrant, directly linking the court order to the interdiction of a sanctioned vessel moving Venezuelan oil. On this basis, the statement that the U.S. has obtained court orders authorizing the seizure of sanctioned vessels involved with Venezuelan oil is accurate.
Therefore, the verdict is True because primary legal records and multiple independent reports corroborate that U.S. courts issued seizure warrants for at least one sanctioned tanker carrying Venezuelan oil, and those warrants were used to justify its seizure.