Imagery Data Reveals Initial Venezuela-Linked Tanker Seized by US is Now Near the Texas Coast.
US agents boarding the deck of the Skipper on December 10th.
Satellite imagery and vessel monitoring data has confirmed that the oil tanker named Skipper – the initial vessel seized by the United States for reportedly carrying sanctioned crude from Venezuela – is now off the coast of Texas.
A satellite firm's satellite imagery dated 21 December shows the ship is near the port of Galveston, while Automatic Identification System vessel-tracking feeds from a maritime data service currently positions the vessel about 80km offshore.
The tanker Skipper was seized by American officials on the tenth of December and has been sanctioned by several nations. At the time it was intercepted, it was incorrectly sailing under the flag of the nation of Guyana.
This interception was followed by the capture of a another oil vessel, the Centuries. This ship – in contrast to the Skipper – was not under official restrictions when it was taken into US custody.
US authorities are now pursuing a third ship, which has been named by the maritime risk group Vanguard as the Bella 1 tanker. The US President said yesterday that “we’ll end up getting it”.
Writing on the social media platform X, the maritime monitoring group noted the Bella 1 has been “in transit 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 speed drops”.
The group added the vessel is “likely traveling south-east towards South Africa”.
