Satellite Data Shows First Venezuelan Oil Ship Confiscated by US is Currently Off Texas.
US personnel boarding the deck of the tanker Skipper on December 10th.
Satellite imagery and vessel monitoring information has verified that the oil tanker named Skipper – the initial vessel seized by the United States for allegedly transporting sanctioned crude from the Venezuelan regime – is currently off the coast of Texas.
A satellite firm's satellite imagery from 21 December shows the tanker is near the port of Galveston, while AIS vessel-tracking feeds from a maritime data service currently places the Skipper about 80km from the coast.
The tanker Skipper was seized by American officials on 10 December and has been blacklisted by several nations. At the time it was seized, it was incorrectly sailing under the flag of the nation of Guyana.
This interception was succeeded by the capture of a second oil vessel, the Centuries. This ship – in contrast to the Skipper – was not yet under sanctions when it was brought under US custody.
American agencies are now targeting a third ship, which has been named by the maritime risk group a risk firm as the Bella 1 tanker. The US President said yesterday that “it will ultimately be secured”.
Writing on the social media platform X, the TankerTrackers group said the vessel Bella 1 has been “underway for 39 days” and, at an typical pace of 11 knots, may have “approximately a month of diesel remaining unless her speed decreases”.
The monitoring service added the vessel is “likely traveling south-east towards South Africa”.
