Imagery Image Reveals Initial Venezuela-Linked Oil Ship Confiscated by American Authorities is Now Near Texas.
US agents boarding the vessel of the tanker Skipper on 10 December.
Satellite imagery and ship tracking data has confirmed that the oil tanker Skipper – the first vessel apprehended by the United States for allegedly transporting embargoed crude from the Venezuelan regime – is currently positioned near of the state of Texas.
Vantor orbital photographs from 21 December indicates the ship is in the vicinity of Galveston, while AIS ship-tracking feeds from MarineTraffic presently places the Skipper about 50 miles from the coast.
The tanker Skipper was taken into custody by American officials on 10 December and has been blacklisted by several nations. When it was intercepted, it was falsely sailing under the ensign of Guyana.
This interception was followed by the capture of a another tanker, the Centuries. This ship – in contrast to the Skipper – was not under official restrictions when it was brought under American control.
US authorities are currently targeting a third vessel, which has been identified by the risk management group a risk firm as the Bella 1 tanker. The US President stated recently that “we’ll end up getting it”.
Writing on X, the TankerTrackers group said the vessel Bella 1 has been “in transit for 39 days” and, at an average speed of 11 knots, may have “approximately a month of fuel remaining unless her speed drops”.
The group added the tanker is “likely heading south-east towards the South African coast”.