Satellite Data Shows First Venezuela-Linked Oil Ship Confiscated by American Authorities is Currently Near the Texas Coast.
US personnel roped onto the deck of the tanker Skipper on 10 December.
Orbital data and ship tracking data has confirmed that the oil tanker Skipper – the initial vessel apprehended by the United States for allegedly carrying embargoed oil from Venezuela – is now positioned near of Texas.
A satellite firm's satellite imagery from 21 December shows the tanker is in the vicinity of Galveston, while Automatic Identification System vessel-tracking data from MarineTraffic currently positions the Skipper about 50 miles offshore.
The Skipper was taken into custody by American officials on 10 December and has been sanctioned by multiple governments. When it was seized, it was incorrectly flying the ensign of the nation of Guyana.
This interception was followed by the capture of a second tanker, the Centuries tanker. This ship – unlike the Skipper – was not under sanctions when it was brought under American control.
US authorities are currently pursuing a third ship, which has been named by the risk management group Vanguard as the Bella 1 tanker. The US President said recently that “we’ll end up getting it”.
Writing on the social media platform X, the maritime monitoring group noted the Bella 1 has been “underway for over a month” and, at an average speed of 11 knots, may have “another 28 to 35 days of fuel left unless her velocity decreases”.
The monitoring service added the tanker is “probably heading in a southeasterly direction towards the South African coast”.
