Satellite Image Shows First Venezuela-Linked Tanker Seized by American Authorities is Now Near Texas.
US agents roped onto the vessel of the Skipper on December 10th.
Orbital data and ship tracking data has confirmed that the crude carrier named Skipper – the initial vessel seized by the US for reportedly transporting sanctioned crude from the Venezuelan regime – is currently off the coast of the state of Texas.
Vantor satellite imagery dated 21 December indicates the ship is near the port of Galveston, while AIS ship-tracking data from MarineTraffic currently positions the vessel about 80km from the coast.
The Skipper was seized by US authorities on the tenth of December and has been blacklisted by multiple nations. At the time it was intercepted, it was incorrectly flying the flag of Guyana.
This interception was succeeded by the capture of a second oil vessel, the Centuries tanker. It – unlike the Skipper – was not yet under sanctions when it was taken into US custody.
US authorities are now pursuing a third such vessel, which has been named by the maritime risk group a risk firm as the Bella 1 tanker. The US President stated yesterday that “we’ll end up getting it”.
Writing on X, the maritime monitoring group said the vessel Bella 1 has been “in transit for 39 days” and, at an typical pace of 11 nautical miles per hour, may have “another 28 to 35 days of fuel left unless her velocity drops”.
The group added the tanker is “probably heading south-east towards South Africa”.
