U.S. Attorney General’s Office/X via AP
This image from video posted on Attorney General Pam Bondi’s X account, and partially redacted by the source, shows an oil tanker being seized by U.S. forces off the coast of Venezuela, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025.
The oil tanker seized by the United States near the coast of Venezuela earlier this week is headed to the Houston region, according to multiple national news outlets.
NBC News and Reuters both reported that the tanker – known as the Skipper – is planned to be held at a Houston-area port. The crew will be released upon docking, according to the reports.
The tanker’s seizure comes amidst growing tensions between the Trump administration and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
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Francisco Monaldi, the director of the Latin America Energy Program at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, said the conflict has implications for the oil industry in Houston and beyond.
“Refiners are eager to have more Venezuelan oil. But if the conflict escalates, that’s unlikely to happen,” he said.
Monaldi said American companies could stand to benefit if there is a change in Venezuela’s government.
“If there is a change in regime in Venezuela, American companies would have a very attractive opportunity to invest there,” he said. “Of course, Chevron would be in the best position because they are already there and they produce 25 percent of Venezuela’s oil.”
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In a statement, Chevron spokesperson Bill Turenne said the company is committed to safety and compliance with the law.
“Chevron has operated in Venezuela for over a century, and we believe our presence continues to be a stabilizing force for the local economy, the region and U.S. energy security,” he said. “Chevron’s operations in Venezuela continue in full compliance with laws and regulations applicable to its business, as well as the sanctions frameworks provided for by the U.S. government. Our top priority is the safety of our personnel, the communities in which we operate, the environment and the integrity of our joint venture assets.”
It’s unclear exactly where the tanker will dock in the Houston region. The Skipper was in the Caribbean Sea as of Friday, according to marinetraffic.com.
Port of Galveston officials said they had not been contacted about docking the ship as of Friday morning. Port Houston referred Houston Public Media to the Greater Houston Port Bureau, which was not immediately available for comment.