Satellite Data Reveals Initial Venezuelan Oil Ship Seized by American Authorities is Now Near the Texas Coast.
American personnel roped onto the vessel of the tanker Skipper on 10 December.
Satellite imagery and ship tracking data has confirmed that the crude carrier Skipper – the first vessel seized by the United States for reportedly carrying sanctioned oil from Venezuela – is now off the coast of the state of Texas.
A satellite firm's satellite imagery from 21 December shows the ship is near the port of Galveston, while Automatic Identification System vessel-tracking feeds from MarineTraffic currently places the vessel about 50 miles from the coast.
The tanker Skipper was seized by American officials on the tenth of December and has been sanctioned by several nations. At the time it was seized, it was falsely flying the ensign of Guyana.
This interception was succeeded by the interception of a another oil vessel, the Centuries tanker. It – in contrast to the first vessel – was not under sanctions when it was brought under US custody.
US authorities are now pursuing a third such ship, which has been identified by the risk management group Vanguard as the Bella 1. President Donald Trump said recently that “it will ultimately be secured”.
Writing on X, the TankerTrackers group said the vessel Bella 1 has been “underway for 39 days” and, at an typical pace of 11 knots, may have “approximately a month of diesel remaining unless her speed decreases”.
The group added the vessel is “probably traveling in a southeasterly direction towards the South African coast”.
