Satellite Image Shows First Venezuela-Linked Tanker Confiscated by American Authorities is Now Off the Texas Coast.
US agents roped onto the vessel of the tanker Skipper on 10 December.
Satellite imagery and vessel monitoring information has verified that the crude carrier Skipper – the initial vessel apprehended by the United States for allegedly carrying embargoed oil from the Venezuelan regime – is now off the coast of Texas.
A satellite firm's orbital photographs dated 21 December shows the tanker is in the vicinity of the port of Galveston, while AIS ship-tracking data from a maritime data service currently places the vessel about 80km offshore.
The tanker Skipper was seized by American officials on 10 December and has been blacklisted by several governments. When it was intercepted, it was falsely flying the flag of the nation of Guyana.
This seizure was succeeded by the interception of a second oil vessel, the Centuries tanker. It – in contrast to the Skipper – was not yet under official restrictions when it was brought under US custody.
American agencies are currently pursuing a third ship, which has been identified by the maritime risk group Vanguard as the Bella 1 tanker. The US President said yesterday that “we’ll end up getting it”.
Writing on the social media platform X, the maritime monitoring group noted the vessel Bella 1 has been “underway for 39 days” and, at an typical pace of 11 knots, may have “approximately a month of fuel left unless her velocity decreases”.
The monitoring service added the vessel is “probably traveling south-east towards South Africa”.
