Satellite Data Reveals First Venezuelan Oil Ship Seized by US is Now Near the Texas Coast.
American personnel roped onto the deck of the Skipper on 10 December.
Orbital data and ship tracking information has confirmed that the crude carrier named Skipper – the first vessel apprehended by the US for allegedly transporting sanctioned crude from the Venezuelan regime – is now positioned near of the state of Texas.
Vantor orbital photographs from 21 December indicates the tanker is near the port of Galveston, while AIS ship-tracking feeds from MarineTraffic currently positions the vessel about 50 miles from the coast.
The Skipper was taken into custody by US authorities on 10 December and has been sanctioned by multiple governments. At the time it was seized, it was incorrectly sailing under the flag of Guyana.
This interception was succeeded by the capture of a second oil vessel, the Centuries tanker. It – unlike the first vessel – was not yet under official restrictions when it was taken into US custody.
US authorities are now pursuing a third ship, which has been identified by the risk management group a risk firm as the Bella 1 tanker. The US President stated recently that “it will ultimately be secured”.
Writing on the social media platform X, the TankerTrackers group noted the Bella 1 has been “underway for 39 days” and, at an typical pace of 11 knots, may have “another 28 to 35 days of diesel remaining unless her velocity decreases”.
The group further stated the vessel is “probably traveling south-east towards the South African coast”.
