Satellite Image Shows Initial Venezuela-Linked Oil Ship Confiscated by US is Currently Near Texas.
American agents roped onto the deck of the tanker Skipper on 10 December.
Orbital data and ship tracking information has verified that the crude carrier Skipper – the first vessel seized by the United States for allegedly carrying sanctioned oil from Venezuela – is now off the coast of Texas.
A satellite firm's orbital photographs dated 21 December indicates the tanker is near Galveston, while AIS vessel-tracking data from a maritime data service currently places the Skipper about 50 miles offshore.
The Skipper was taken into custody by American officials on the tenth of December and has been blacklisted by multiple governments. At the time 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 tanker, the Centuries tanker. It – in contrast to the Skipper – was not under official restrictions when it was brought under US custody.
American agencies are now pursuing a third such vessel, which has been identified by the maritime risk group a risk firm as the Bella 1. The US President stated recently that “we’ll end up getting it”.
Writing on X, the maritime monitoring group said the vessel Bella 1 has been “underway for 39 days” and, at an average speed of 11 nautical miles per hour, may have “another 28 to 35 days of fuel left unless her speed decreases”.
The monitoring service further stated the tanker is “likely heading south-east towards the South African coast”.