Imagery Data Reveals First Venezuela-Linked Tanker Confiscated by American Authorities is Currently Off the Texas Coast.
US agents boarding the vessel of the Skipper on December 10th.
Orbital data and ship tracking information has verified that the oil tanker named Skipper – the first vessel seized by the United States for reportedly carrying sanctioned oil from Venezuela – is currently off the coast of the state of Texas.
Vantor satellite imagery from 21 December shows the ship is near Galveston, while Automatic Identification System ship-tracking feeds from MarineTraffic currently places the vessel about 80km offshore.
The Skipper was seized by US authorities on 10 December and has been sanctioned by several governments. At the time it was seized, it was incorrectly flying the ensign of Guyana.
This interception was followed by the capture of a another tanker, the Centuries tanker. It – unlike the first vessel – was not under official restrictions when it was brought under American control.
American agencies are now targeting a third ship, which has been named by the maritime risk group a risk firm as the Bella 1. The US President stated yesterday that “it will ultimately be secured”.
Writing on X, the maritime monitoring group said the Bella 1 has been “in transit for over a month” and, at an typical pace of 11 nautical miles per hour, may have “another 28 to 35 days of fuel left unless her velocity drops”.
The group added the tanker is “likely heading south-east towards the South African coast”.
