Satellite Image Shows Initial Venezuela-Linked Oil Ship Confiscated by American Authorities is Currently Off the Texas Coast.
American agents roped onto the vessel of the Skipper on 10 December.
Satellite imagery and ship tracking information has verified that the crude carrier Skipper – the first vessel apprehended by the US for reportedly carrying embargoed crude from the Venezuelan regime – is currently positioned near of the state of Texas.
Vantor orbital photographs dated 21 December shows the tanker is in the vicinity of Galveston, while Automatic Identification System ship-tracking feeds from a maritime data service presently places the Skipper about 80km offshore.
The Skipper was seized by American officials on 10 December and has been blacklisted by several governments. At the time it was seized, it was incorrectly sailing under the flag of Guyana.
This interception was followed by the capture of a second tanker, the Centuries tanker. This ship – in contrast to the Skipper – was not under official restrictions when it was brought under US custody.
US authorities are currently targeting a third ship, which has been identified by the risk management group a risk firm as the Bella 1 tanker. The US President said recently that “we’ll end up getting it”.
Writing on X, the maritime monitoring group noted the Bella 1 has been “underway 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 South Africa”.