Satellite Image Reveals Initial Venezuela-Linked Tanker Confiscated by American Authorities is Currently Near the Texas Coast.
US agents boarding the deck of the tanker Skipper on December 10th.
Satellite imagery and ship tracking information has verified that the crude carrier Skipper – the first vessel seized by the US for reportedly transporting sanctioned oil from the Venezuelan regime – is currently off the coast of the state of Texas.
A satellite firm's orbital photographs from 21 December indicates the ship is near Galveston, while AIS ship-tracking data from a maritime data service presently places the vessel about 80km offshore.
The Skipper was seized by US authorities on the tenth of December and has been sanctioned by several nations. When it was intercepted, it was incorrectly sailing under the ensign of the nation of Guyana.
This interception was succeeded by the capture of a another tanker, the Centuries tanker. It – unlike the first vessel – was not yet under official restrictions when it was taken into American control.
US authorities are currently targeting a third such ship, which has been named by the risk management group Vanguard as the Bella 1. President Donald Trump said recently that “we’ll end up getting it”.
Writing on X, the maritime monitoring group noted the vessel 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 fuel left unless her speed decreases”.
The monitoring service added the tanker is “likely traveling in a southeasterly direction towards South Africa”.
