Imagery Data Shows Initial Venezuela-Linked Tanker Seized by American Authorities is Currently Near the Texas Coast.
US personnel roped onto the deck of the Skipper on December 10th.
Satellite imagery and ship tracking data has confirmed that the oil tanker Skipper – the initial vessel apprehended by the US for allegedly transporting embargoed oil from the Venezuelan regime – is currently off the coast of the state of Texas.
Vantor orbital photographs from 21 December indicates the tanker is in the vicinity of the port of Galveston, while AIS ship-tracking data from MarineTraffic currently positions the vessel about 80km from the coast.
The tanker Skipper was taken into custody by American officials on the tenth of December and has been blacklisted by several nations. At the time 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 oil vessel, the Centuries. This ship – in contrast to the first vessel – was not yet under sanctions when it was taken into American control.
American agencies are currently targeting a third vessel, which has been named by the maritime risk group Vanguard as the Bella 1 tanker. President Donald Trump said recently that “it will ultimately be secured”.
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 fuel left unless her speed drops”.
The monitoring service further stated the vessel is “likely traveling south-east towards the South African coast”.
