Imagery Image Reveals Initial Venezuelan Oil Ship Confiscated by American Authorities is Currently Off the Texas Coast.
American agents boarding the deck of the Skipper on December 10th.
Satellite imagery and ship tracking data has confirmed that the oil tanker Skipper – the first vessel seized by the United States for reportedly carrying embargoed crude from Venezuela – is currently positioned near of Texas.
A satellite firm's satellite imagery from 21 December indicates the ship is in the vicinity of Galveston, while AIS vessel-tracking data from a maritime data service currently places the Skipper about 80km offshore.
The Skipper was taken into custody by American officials on 10 December and has been sanctioned by several governments. When it was intercepted, it was falsely flying the flag of Guyana.
This seizure was followed by the capture of a second tanker, the Centuries. It – unlike the first vessel – was not yet under official restrictions when it was taken into US custody.
US authorities are now targeting a third ship, which has been named by the maritime risk group a risk firm as the Bella 1 tanker. The US President said recently that “it will ultimately be secured”.
Writing on the social media platform X, the maritime monitoring group said the Bella 1 has been “in transit for 39 days” and, at an average speed of 11 nautical miles per hour, may have “approximately a month of diesel remaining unless her speed drops”.
The monitoring service further stated the tanker is “likely heading in a southeasterly direction towards South Africa”.
