Satellite Data Shows Initial Venezuelan Oil Ship Confiscated by American Authorities is Now Off the Texas Coast.
US agents roped onto the vessel of the tanker Skipper on December 10th.
Orbital data and ship tracking information has verified that the oil tanker Skipper – the first vessel seized by the United States for allegedly carrying sanctioned crude from Venezuela – is currently positioned near of the state of Texas.
A satellite firm's satellite imagery from 21 December shows the ship is in the vicinity of Galveston, while Automatic Identification System ship-tracking feeds from a maritime data service currently positions the vessel about 50 miles from the coast.
The tanker Skipper was taken into custody by American officials on 10 December and has been sanctioned by several governments. When it was intercepted, it was incorrectly flying the ensign of the nation of Guyana.
This seizure was succeeded by the interception of a another tanker, the Centuries. This ship – unlike the first vessel – was not under sanctions when it was brought under American control.
US authorities are now targeting a third such vessel, which has been identified by the risk management group a risk firm as the Bella 1. President Donald Trump said recently that “it will ultimately be secured”.
Writing on the social media platform X, the maritime monitoring group noted the vessel Bella 1 has been “in transit for over a month” and, at an typical pace of 11 knots, may have “approximately a month of diesel left unless her speed drops”.
The group added the vessel is “probably heading in a southeasterly direction towards the South African coast”.
