Satellite Data Shows First Venezuelan Tanker Seized by American Authorities is Now Off the Texas Coast.
American agents roped onto the deck of the tanker Skipper on December 10th.
Orbital data and ship tracking data has verified that the crude carrier named Skipper – the initial vessel apprehended by the United States for allegedly carrying sanctioned oil from the Venezuelan regime – is currently positioned near of Texas.
Vantor satellite imagery dated 21 December indicates the ship is in the vicinity of Galveston, while AIS ship-tracking feeds from a maritime data service currently places the Skipper about 50 miles offshore.
The Skipper was seized by US authorities on 10 December and has been sanctioned by several governments. At the time it was seized, it was falsely sailing under the ensign of the nation of Guyana.
This interception was succeeded by the interception of a second oil vessel, the Centuries. It – in contrast to the Skipper – was not yet under official restrictions when it was taken into American control.
US authorities are currently pursuing a third such vessel, which has been identified by the maritime risk group a risk firm as the Bella 1. President Donald Trump stated yesterday that “it will ultimately be secured”.
Writing on X, the TankerTrackers group said the vessel Bella 1 has been “in transit for 39 days” and, at an average speed of 11 nautical miles per hour, may have “another 28 to 35 days of diesel left unless her velocity drops”.
The monitoring service added the tanker is “likely heading south-east towards South Africa”.
