Satellite Image Shows First Venezuela-Linked Oil Ship Seized by US is Currently Near the Texas Coast.
American agents boarding the vessel of the tanker Skipper on 10 December.
Orbital data and ship tracking data has verified that the oil tanker named Skipper – the first vessel apprehended by the US for allegedly carrying sanctioned crude from the Venezuelan regime – is now positioned near of the state of Texas.
Vantor orbital photographs dated 21 December shows the tanker is in the vicinity of the port of Galveston, while AIS ship-tracking data from MarineTraffic currently positions the Skipper about 50 miles offshore.
The tanker Skipper was taken into custody by US authorities on 10 December and has been sanctioned by multiple governments. When it was intercepted, it was incorrectly flying the ensign of the nation of Guyana.
This seizure was succeeded by the capture of a second oil vessel, the Centuries tanker. This ship – unlike the Skipper – was not yet under official restrictions when it was brought under American control.
American agencies are currently targeting a third vessel, which has been identified by the risk management group a risk firm as the Bella 1 tanker. President Donald Trump said yesterday 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 39 days” and, at an typical pace of 11 nautical miles per hour, may have “another 28 to 35 days of diesel left unless her velocity decreases”.
The group further stated the tanker is “probably traveling south-east towards South Africa”.
