Imagery Image Shows Initial Venezuelan Tanker Seized by US is Currently Off the Texas Coast.
US agents boarding the vessel of the tanker Skipper on December 10th.
Orbital data and vessel monitoring data has verified that the crude carrier Skipper – the first vessel seized by the US for reportedly transporting sanctioned oil from Venezuela – is now positioned near of the state of Texas.
A satellite firm's satellite imagery from 21 December indicates the tanker is near Galveston, while AIS ship-tracking feeds from a maritime data service currently positions the Skipper about 50 miles from the coast.
The Skipper was seized by US authorities on 10 December and has been sanctioned by several governments. At the time it was intercepted, it was incorrectly sailing under 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 first vessel – was not under official restrictions when it was brought under US custody.
American agencies are currently pursuing a third vessel, which has been identified by the maritime risk group a risk firm as the Bella 1. The US President said recently that “we’ll end up getting it”.
Writing on X, the TankerTrackers group said the vessel Bella 1 has been “underway for over a month” 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 further stated the tanker is “probably traveling south-east towards South Africa”.
