Imagery Image Shows First Venezuela-Linked Oil Ship Seized by US is Currently Near the Texas Coast.
American personnel roped onto the vessel of the Skipper on 10 December.
Satellite imagery and ship tracking information has verified that the oil tanker Skipper – the first vessel apprehended by the United States for allegedly carrying embargoed crude from the Venezuelan regime – is now positioned near of the state of Texas.
A satellite firm's orbital photographs from 21 December shows the ship is in the vicinity of Galveston, while AIS ship-tracking data from a maritime data service currently places the vessel about 80km offshore.
The tanker Skipper was taken into custody by US authorities on 10 December and has been sanctioned by several governments. At the time it was seized, it was falsely sailing under the flag of Guyana.
This seizure was followed by the interception of a another oil vessel, the Centuries. This ship – in contrast to the first vessel – was not yet under sanctions when it was taken into US custody.
US authorities are now pursuing a third such vessel, which has been identified by the maritime risk group Vanguard as the Bella 1. The US President said yesterday that “it will ultimately be secured”.
Writing on the social media platform X, the TankerTrackers group said the vessel Bella 1 has been “underway for 39 days” 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 heading south-east towards the South African coast”.