Imagery Data Shows Initial Venezuelan Oil Ship Seized by American Authorities is Currently Near Texas.
US personnel roped onto the vessel of the tanker Skipper on 10 December.
Satellite imagery and ship tracking information has confirmed that the oil tanker named Skipper – the first vessel apprehended by the United States for allegedly carrying embargoed crude from Venezuela – is now off the coast of Texas.
A satellite firm's orbital photographs from 21 December shows the tanker is in the vicinity of the port of Galveston, while Automatic Identification System ship-tracking feeds from MarineTraffic presently positions the Skipper about 80km from the coast.
The tanker Skipper was seized by American officials on 10 December and has been sanctioned by multiple governments. At the time it was seized, it was incorrectly sailing under the flag of Guyana.
This seizure was succeeded by the capture of a second oil vessel, the Centuries. It – in contrast to the first vessel – was not under official restrictions when it was taken into US custody.
US authorities are now pursuing a third such ship, which has been named by the risk management group a risk firm as the Bella 1. President Donald Trump said recently that “it will ultimately be secured”.
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 knots, may have “another 28 to 35 days of diesel remaining unless her velocity drops”.
The group further stated the tanker is “likely heading in a southeasterly direction towards the South African coast”.