Just when you thought the Caribbean was only for cruises and cocktails, a shadowy fleet of Iranian-linked oil tankers has surfaced near American waters, stirring up a geopolitical storm.

A cluster of 20 illicit tanker ships, tied to Iran, Venezuela, and Russia, has been caught operating in the Caribbean, with a dramatic U.S. seizure of one vessel escalating tensions in an already volatile region, the Daily Mail reported. 

These vessels, dubbed "Ghost Armadas," have a notorious track record of hauling sanctioned oil, primarily from Iran, to bankroll regimes in Tehran, Moscow, and Caracas.

Shadow fleet sparks security concerns

According to United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), which has tracked these ships for over a decade, 11 of the 20 tankers are directly connected to Iran's oil trade, with names like 'Skipper' and 'Star Twinkle 6' on the roster.

The remaining nine are linked to Russian and Venezuelan operations, forming a tight-knit alliance of rogue players in international waters.

Satellite imagery from UANI even captured the tanker 'BERTHA' loading Venezuelan crude at the Jose Terminal just last Friday, a stark reminder of how close to home this game of cat-and-mouse has come.

Dramatic seizure of 'Skipper' tanker

On Thursday, the U.S. made a bold move by seizing the 'Skipper,' a tanker long sanctioned for its role in this shady oil network, in a high-stakes operation off Venezuela's coast.

Video footage released by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi on X shows armed agents in camouflage rappelling from helicopters onto the ship's deck, a Hollywood-worthy takedown executed by the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Coast Guard with military backup.

This marks the first seizure of a Venezuelan oil cargo since U.S. sanctions kicked in back in 2019, signaling a ramped-up campaign against Nicolás Maduro's regime.

Funding terror through illicit oil

UANI warns that the revenue from ships like the 'Skipper' funds terrorist groups such as Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Hezbollah, while also propping up hostile governments and funneling cheap oil to China.

"Iran is the largest state sponsor of terrorism and its illicit oil sales are the main source of funding for its global terrorist activities," said Jemima Shelley, Senior Research Analyst at UANI, to the Daily Mail.

That’s a chilling statement, but let’s not kid ourselves—when oil money flows unchecked, it’s rarely spent on humanitarian bake sales; it’s a pipeline to chaos that the U.S. can’t afford to ignore.

Broader implications for US security

Shelley also noted:

At UANI, we have acquired data showing that there are at least 10 additional dark fleet vessels in the Caribbean with a similar history of transporting illicit Iranian oil. In total, these 10 vessels have in the past carried over 29 million barrels of Iranian crude, generating approximately $1.8 billion for the Iranian regime.

That’s nearly $2 billion in potential terror funding sloshing around just off our shores, a number that should make any sensible American pause and demand action over empty diplomatic platitudes.

With UANI leaders hinting at more targets on their radar and the U.S. planning further seizures, this Caribbean chess match is far from over, and it’s clear the Trump administration isn’t playing checkers when it comes to disrupting these dangerous networks.