Imagery Data Shows First Venezuela-Linked Tanker Seized by American Authorities is Now Off Texas.
US personnel boarding the vessel of the Skipper on December 10th.
Satellite imagery and ship tracking data has verified that the oil tanker Skipper – the first vessel seized by the US for reportedly carrying embargoed crude from Venezuela – is now positioned near of the state of Texas.
Vantor satellite imagery dated 21 December shows the ship is in the vicinity of the port of Galveston, while AIS ship-tracking data from a maritime data service presently places the Skipper about 50 miles offshore.
The Skipper was taken into custody by US authorities on the tenth of December and has been sanctioned by several governments. At the time it was intercepted, it was falsely flying the flag of Guyana.
This interception was followed by the capture of a second 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 currently targeting 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 the social media platform X, the maritime monitoring group noted the vessel Bella 1 has been “in transit for 39 days” and, at an average speed of 11 knots, may have “another 28 to 35 days of diesel left unless her speed decreases”.
The group added the tanker is “probably traveling in a southeasterly direction towards the South African coast”.
