Imagery Image Reveals First Venezuelan Oil Ship Seized by American Authorities is Now Near Texas.
American personnel roped onto the deck of the Skipper on 10 December.
Satellite imagery and ship tracking data has confirmed that the oil tanker Skipper – the first vessel apprehended by the United States for reportedly carrying embargoed crude from the Venezuelan regime – is now off the coast of Texas.
A satellite firm's orbital photographs from 21 December shows the ship is near the port of Galveston, while AIS ship-tracking feeds from a maritime data service presently positions the Skipper about 50 miles from the coast.
The tanker Skipper was taken into custody by US authorities on 10 December and has been blacklisted by several governments. When it was intercepted, it was falsely sailing under the flag of Guyana.
This interception was followed by the capture of a second oil vessel, the Centuries tanker. It – in contrast to the Skipper – was not under sanctions when it was taken into American control.
American agencies are currently pursuing a third such 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 X, the maritime monitoring group said the Bella 1 has been “in transit for 39 days” and, at an average speed of 11 knots, may have “another 28 to 35 days of diesel remaining unless her speed drops”.
The group further stated the vessel is “probably traveling south-east towards the South African coast”.
