Imagery Data Shows First Venezuela-Linked Oil Ship Confiscated by American Authorities is Now Off the Texas Coast.
American agents roped onto the vessel of the Skipper on December 10th.
Satellite imagery and vessel monitoring data has verified that the oil tanker Skipper – the initial vessel seized by the United States for reportedly transporting embargoed oil from Venezuela – is now positioned near of the state of Texas.
Vantor orbital photographs from 21 December shows the ship is in the vicinity of Galveston, while Automatic Identification System vessel-tracking data from a maritime data service currently positions the vessel about 50 miles offshore.
The Skipper was seized by US authorities on the tenth of December and has been sanctioned by multiple governments. When it was intercepted, it was falsely sailing under the ensign of the nation of Guyana.
This interception was followed by the capture of a second oil vessel, the Centuries. It – in contrast to the first vessel – was not under official restrictions when it was brought under American control.
American agencies are now pursuing a third ship, which has been named by the maritime risk group a risk firm as the Bella 1 tanker. President Donald Trump stated yesterday that “we’ll end up getting it”.
Writing on the social media platform X, the TankerTrackers group said the Bella 1 has been “in transit for 39 days” and, at an typical pace of 11 knots, may have “approximately a month of diesel remaining unless her speed decreases”.
The group added the tanker is “likely traveling in a southeasterly direction towards the South African coast”.
