Satellite Image Shows First Venezuela-Linked Oil Ship Confiscated by American Authorities is Currently Off the Texas Coast.
American agents boarding the deck of the tanker Skipper on December 10th.
Orbital data and ship tracking data has confirmed that the crude carrier Skipper – the first vessel apprehended by the US for reportedly carrying sanctioned crude from the Venezuelan regime – is now positioned near of Texas.
A satellite firm's satellite imagery from 21 December indicates the ship is in the vicinity of the port of Galveston, while Automatic Identification System ship-tracking feeds from MarineTraffic presently places the vessel about 50 miles from the coast.
The Skipper was taken into custody by US authorities on 10 December and has been blacklisted by several nations. At the time it was intercepted, it was incorrectly sailing under the flag of the nation of Guyana.
This interception was followed by the capture of a second tanker, the Centuries. It – unlike the Skipper – was not under official restrictions when it was taken into US custody.
US authorities are now targeting a third vessel, which has been named by the risk management group a risk firm as the Bella 1 tanker. President Donald Trump said yesterday that “it will ultimately be secured”.
Writing on the social media platform X, the maritime monitoring group said the Bella 1 has been “in transit for 39 days” and, at an average speed of 11 knots, may have “another 28 to 35 days of diesel remaining unless her velocity decreases”.
The group further stated the tanker is “probably heading south-east towards South Africa”.