Satellite Data Reveals First Venezuela-Linked Oil Ship Seized by American Authorities is Currently Near the Texas Coast.
US agents boarding the deck of the Skipper on December 10th.
Orbital data and vessel monitoring data has confirmed that the crude carrier Skipper – the first vessel apprehended by the United States for reportedly transporting embargoed crude from Venezuela – is currently positioned near of Texas.
Vantor orbital photographs dated 21 December indicates the ship is near Galveston, while AIS ship-tracking feeds from a maritime data service presently positions the vessel about 50 miles offshore.
The tanker Skipper was taken into custody by American officials on the tenth of December and has been blacklisted by multiple nations. At the time it was seized, it was incorrectly flying the ensign of the nation of Guyana.
This seizure was followed by the interception of a another tanker, the Centuries tanker. This ship – in contrast to the Skipper – was not yet under official restrictions when it was taken into US custody.
US authorities are now pursuing a third vessel, which has been identified by the risk management group a risk firm as the Bella 1. President Donald Trump said yesterday that “we’ll end up getting it”.
Writing on X, the maritime monitoring group said the Bella 1 has been “in transit for over a month” and, at an average speed of 11 nautical miles per hour, may have “approximately a month of diesel left unless her speed decreases”.
The group added the tanker is “probably heading south-east towards South Africa”.
