Imagery Data Shows First Venezuelan Tanker Confiscated by American Authorities is Currently Off Texas.
American agents roped onto the vessel of the Skipper on 10 December.
Satellite imagery and vessel monitoring data has confirmed that the crude carrier Skipper – the initial vessel seized by the US for reportedly transporting embargoed oil from Venezuela – is now off the coast of Texas.
A satellite firm's orbital photographs dated 21 December indicates the tanker is in the vicinity of Galveston, while Automatic Identification System ship-tracking feeds from a maritime data service currently positions the vessel about 50 miles from the coast.
The tanker Skipper was seized by American officials on 10 December and has been blacklisted by multiple governments. When it was seized, it was incorrectly sailing under the ensign of Guyana.
This seizure was succeeded by the interception of a another oil vessel, the Centuries tanker. It – in contrast to the first vessel – was not yet under official restrictions when it was brought under American control.
US authorities are now targeting a third such ship, which has been named by the maritime risk group Vanguard as the Bella 1. The US President said recently that “it will ultimately be secured”.
Writing on the social media platform X, the TankerTrackers group said the Bella 1 has been “underway for over a month” and, at an typical pace of 11 knots, may have “another 28 to 35 days of diesel remaining unless her velocity decreases”.
The group added the tanker is “likely traveling south-east towards South Africa”.