Imagery Data Reveals Initial Venezuelan Tanker Seized by American Authorities is Now Off the Texas Coast.
US personnel boarding the deck of the tanker Skipper on 10 December.
Orbital data and vessel monitoring data has confirmed that the oil tanker Skipper – the first vessel apprehended by the US for reportedly transporting embargoed crude from the Venezuelan regime – is currently positioned near of the state of Texas.
A satellite firm's satellite imagery dated 21 December indicates the ship is near the port of Galveston, while AIS ship-tracking feeds from MarineTraffic currently places the vessel about 50 miles from the coast.
The Skipper was taken into custody by American officials on 10 December and has been blacklisted by several nations. When it was intercepted, it was incorrectly sailing under the flag of the nation of Guyana.
This interception was followed by the interception of a another tanker, the Centuries. It – in contrast to the Skipper – was not yet under sanctions when it was taken into US custody.
US authorities are currently pursuing a third ship, which has been identified by the maritime risk group a risk firm as the Bella 1. 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 39 days” and, at an average speed of 11 nautical miles per hour, may have “another 28 to 35 days of diesel left unless her speed drops”.
The monitoring service further stated the tanker is “likely heading in a southeasterly direction towards the South African coast”.
