Imagery Data Shows First Venezuela-Linked Oil Ship Seized by US is Currently Off the Texas Coast.
American agents boarding the deck of the tanker Skipper on 10 December.
Satellite imagery and vessel monitoring data has confirmed that the oil tanker named Skipper – the initial vessel apprehended by the United States for allegedly carrying sanctioned oil from Venezuela – is currently off the coast of Texas.
A satellite firm's orbital photographs dated 21 December shows the ship is near the port of Galveston, while Automatic Identification System ship-tracking data from a maritime data service presently positions the Skipper about 50 miles from the coast.
The tanker Skipper was taken into custody by US authorities on the tenth of December and has been sanctioned by multiple nations. At the time it was seized, it was incorrectly sailing under the flag of the nation of Guyana.
This seizure was succeeded by the interception of a second oil vessel, the Centuries. It – in contrast to the Skipper – was not yet under sanctions when it was brought under American control.
US authorities are now pursuing a third vessel, which has been named by the maritime risk group a risk firm as the Bella 1. President Donald Trump said recently that “we’ll end up getting it”.
Writing on the social media platform X, the TankerTrackers group noted the Bella 1 has been “underway for over a month” and, at an average speed of 11 knots, may have “another 28 to 35 days of fuel left unless her speed drops”.
The monitoring service further stated the tanker is “likely traveling in a southeasterly direction towards the South African coast”.
