Satellite Image Shows Initial Venezuelan Oil Ship Seized by US is Now Near the Texas Coast.
American personnel roped onto the deck of the tanker Skipper on 10 December.
Orbital data and vessel monitoring information has verified that the oil tanker Skipper – the first vessel seized by the United States for reportedly carrying embargoed crude from the Venezuelan regime – is now positioned near of Texas.
A satellite firm's orbital photographs from 21 December indicates the tanker is in the vicinity of Galveston, while Automatic Identification System vessel-tracking data from MarineTraffic currently positions the Skipper about 80km offshore.
The tanker Skipper was taken into custody by American officials on 10 December and has been sanctioned by multiple governments. When it was seized, it was incorrectly flying the ensign of Guyana.
This interception was followed by the interception of a another tanker, the Centuries. This ship – in contrast to the Skipper – was not yet under official restrictions when it was brought under US custody.
US authorities are currently targeting a third ship, which has been identified by the maritime risk group a risk firm as the Bella 1 tanker. President Donald Trump stated recently that “it will ultimately be secured”.
Writing on the social media platform X, the TankerTrackers group noted the vessel Bella 1 has been “underway for 39 days” and, at an typical pace of 11 nautical miles per hour, may have “approximately a month of diesel left unless her speed drops”.
The monitoring service further stated the tanker is “probably traveling south-east towards South Africa”.
