Satellite Image Reveals First Venezuela-Linked Tanker Seized by US is Now Near the Texas Coast.
American personnel roped onto the deck of the Skipper on 10 December.
Satellite imagery and vessel monitoring information has confirmed that the crude carrier Skipper – the initial vessel seized by the United States for allegedly transporting sanctioned oil from the Venezuelan regime – is currently off the coast of the state of Texas.
A satellite firm's orbital photographs from 21 December indicates the tanker is in the vicinity of Galveston, while AIS vessel-tracking data from a maritime data service currently places the vessel about 80km from the coast.
The tanker Skipper was seized by US authorities on the tenth of December and has been blacklisted by several governments. At the time it was intercepted, it was incorrectly sailing under the flag of the nation of Guyana.
This seizure was followed by the interception of a another tanker, the Centuries tanker. It – in contrast to the first vessel – was not yet under sanctions when it was taken into US custody.
American agencies are now targeting a third such ship, which has been identified by the risk management group a risk firm as the Bella 1. The US President said yesterday that “it will ultimately be secured”.
Writing on the social media platform X, the TankerTrackers group said the Bella 1 has been “in transit for over a month” and, at an typical pace of 11 knots, may have “approximately a month of fuel remaining unless her speed decreases”.
The monitoring service added the tanker is “probably traveling in a southeasterly direction towards the South African coast”.
