Satellite Data Reveals Initial Venezuela-Linked Oil Ship Confiscated by US is Currently Off the Texas Coast.
American agents roped onto the deck of the tanker Skipper on 10 December.
Orbital data and ship tracking information has confirmed that the crude carrier named Skipper – the first vessel seized by the United States for allegedly carrying sanctioned oil from the Venezuelan regime – is now off the coast of Texas.
A satellite firm's orbital photographs from 21 December shows the tanker is in the vicinity of Galveston, while Automatic Identification System vessel-tracking feeds from a maritime data service presently places the vessel about 50 miles offshore.
The Skipper was taken into custody by US authorities on 10 December and has been blacklisted by several nations. When it was intercepted, it was incorrectly sailing under the ensign of Guyana.
This seizure was succeeded by the interception of a another tanker, the Centuries tanker. It – in contrast to the first vessel – was not under sanctions when it was taken into American control.
US authorities are now pursuing a third such ship, which has been named by the maritime risk group a risk firm as the Bella 1 tanker. President Donald Trump stated yesterday that “it will ultimately be secured”.
Writing on the social media platform X, the maritime monitoring group noted the vessel Bella 1 has been “in transit for over a month” and, at an average speed of 11 nautical miles per hour, may have “another 28 to 35 days of diesel remaining unless her velocity decreases”.
The monitoring service further stated the tanker is “likely heading south-east towards South Africa”.
