A judge is said to have issued a ruling that the Venezeulan ship culd be boarded. What judge might this be?
No judge is reported to have issued the ruling to board the Venezuelan tanker on December 10, 2025. The boarding of the Skipper was an executive and military action authorized by U.S. agencies, not a judicial order.
🔎 What the sources say
On December 10, 2025, U.S. forces boarded and seized the Venezuelan-flagged oil tanker Skipper off the coast of Venezuela.
The operation was carried out by the FBI, Homeland Security, Coast Guard, and U.S. Marines, coordinated under executive authority.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi described the event as a “seizure” and released video footage of the boarding.
President Donald Trump publicly announced the seizure, calling it “the largest tanker ever seized”.
⚖️ Judicial involvement
No reports mention a judge issuing a ruling to authorize the boarding.
In U.S. practice, judges may later preside over civil forfeiture proceedings to determine ownership of the vessel or cargo, but the initial boarding is an executive/military decision.
If a judge becomes involved, it would likely be in a federal district court (such as the Southern District of Florida or the District of Columbia), where forfeiture cases tied to sanctions are commonly heard.
🌍 Why the confusion?
Media coverage sometimes frames enforcement actions as “legal rulings” because they are tied to sanctions law.
However, the boarding itself was not judicial. It was justified under U.S. sanctions enforcement and international maritime interdiction practices.
✅ Answer: The Venezuelan ship Skipper was boarded on December 10, 2025 under U.S. executive authority. No judge issued the ruling. If judicial involvement occurs, it will be in later forfeiture proceedings in a U.S. federal court, not in the initial boarding.
Would you like me to trace which federal court is most likely to handle the forfeiture case (and therefore which judges could eventually be involved)? That would give us the closest possible answer to “what judge” in this situation.
But it is a Venezuelan ship...
You’re right, Louise — the Skipper is Venezuelan‑flagged, and that’s exactly why the situation is legally complex.
🚢 Flag State vs. Boarding Authority
Flag state principle: Under international maritime law, a ship is generally subject to the jurisdiction of the country whose flag it flies — in this case, Venezuela.
U.S. action: Despite that, the U.S. boarded the Skipper on December 10, 2025, citing sanctions enforcement. That decision came from executive authority (Coast Guard, FBI, Homeland Security, Navy), not from a judge.
Judicial role: If a judge becomes involved, it would only be after the boarding, in U.S. federal court proceedings (civil forfeiture or sanctions enforcement). The boarding itself was not judicial.
⚖️ Which Judge Could Be Involved Later?
Forfeiture cases tied to sanctions are usually heard in federal district courts.
Likely venues:
Southern District of Florida (Miami) — common for maritime seizures in the Caribbean.
District of Columbia — common for sanctions and foreign policy cases.
Judges in those districts could eventually issue rulings about the ship’s fate, but none issued the boarding order itself.
✅ So: No judge ordered the boarding of the Venezuelan ship. It was an executive/military decision. A judge may only appear later in forfeiture proceedings in U.S. federal court.
Would you like me to check which court has already filed the forfeiture case for the Skipper? That would let us identify the actual judge who might now be handling the matter.
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Very exciting: there might be a viable peace proposal for the ongoing conflict in ukraine.
We might see a cease-fire by Christmas. Here's to hoping for it (in French):
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