Satellite Data Shows Initial Venezuela-Linked Tanker Confiscated by American Authorities is Currently Near Texas.
American agents boarding the deck of the tanker Skipper on 10 December.
Satellite imagery and ship tracking data has confirmed that the oil tanker named Skipper – the initial vessel seized by the US for reportedly carrying sanctioned crude from Venezuela – is now off the coast of the state of Texas.
Vantor satellite imagery dated 21 December shows the tanker is in the vicinity of Galveston, while Automatic Identification System ship-tracking feeds from MarineTraffic currently places the vessel about 80km offshore.
The tanker Skipper was taken into custody by US authorities on the tenth of December and has been blacklisted by several governments. When it was intercepted, it was falsely flying the flag of the nation of Guyana.
This seizure was followed by the capture of a another oil vessel, the Centuries. This ship – unlike the first vessel – was not yet under official restrictions when it was brought under American control.
US authorities are now pursuing a third such ship, which has been named by the risk management group a risk firm as the Bella 1. 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 “in transit for 39 days” and, at an average speed of 11 nautical miles per hour, may have “approximately a month of fuel remaining unless her speed drops”.
The group further stated the tanker is “likely heading in a southeasterly direction towards the South African coast”.
