Satellite Image Shows Initial Venezuela-Linked Oil Ship Seized by American Authorities is Currently Near Texas.
US personnel boarding the vessel of the tanker Skipper on December 10th.
Orbital data and ship tracking information has verified that the crude carrier named Skipper – the first vessel seized by the United States for allegedly transporting sanctioned oil from the Venezuelan regime – is currently positioned near of Texas.
A satellite firm's satellite imagery dated 21 December indicates the tanker is in the vicinity of Galveston, while AIS vessel-tracking data from a maritime data service currently positions the Skipper about 50 miles from the coast.
The Skipper was seized by American officials on the tenth of December and has been blacklisted by several governments. At the time it was intercepted, it was falsely flying the flag of Guyana.
This interception was followed by the capture of a second tanker, the Centuries tanker. It – in contrast to the Skipper – was not under sanctions when it was taken into US custody.
American agencies are currently pursuing a third ship, which has been identified by the risk management group Vanguard as the Bella 1 tanker. The US President said yesterday that “it will ultimately be secured”.
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 remaining unless her speed drops”.
The group added the tanker is “likely traveling in a southeasterly direction towards the South African coast”.
