Imagery Data Reveals Initial Venezuelan Tanker Seized by American Authorities is Now Near Texas.
American personnel boarding the vessel of the Skipper on 10 December.
Orbital data and ship tracking information has confirmed that the crude carrier named Skipper – the initial vessel seized by the US for reportedly carrying embargoed oil from Venezuela – is currently off the coast of the state of Texas.
Vantor orbital photographs from 21 December indicates the tanker is near the port of Galveston, while AIS ship-tracking data from MarineTraffic presently positions the Skipper about 50 miles offshore.
The Skipper was seized by American officials on the tenth of December and has been sanctioned by several nations. At the time it was seized, it was incorrectly flying the flag of the nation of Guyana.
This interception was succeeded by the capture of a another tanker, the Centuries tanker. This ship – in contrast to the first vessel – was not yet under sanctions when it was brought under American control.
US authorities are now pursuing a third vessel, which has been identified by the maritime risk group Vanguard as the Bella 1 tanker. The US President stated 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 fuel remaining unless her speed decreases”.
The group added the tanker is “likely heading in a southeasterly direction towards the South African coast”.
