Satellite Data Reveals First Venezuela-Linked Tanker Seized by American Authorities is Now Off the Texas Coast.
American agents roped onto the vessel of the Skipper on 10 December.
Satellite imagery and vessel monitoring information has verified that the oil tanker Skipper – the first vessel seized by the US for allegedly carrying embargoed oil from the Venezuelan regime – is now 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 Automatic Identification System vessel-tracking feeds from a maritime data service presently places the Skipper about 80km from the coast.
The Skipper was seized by US authorities on the tenth of December and has been blacklisted by several nations. When it was seized, it was falsely sailing under the ensign of the nation of Guyana.
This interception was succeeded by the interception of a second tanker, the Centuries tanker. It – unlike the first vessel – was not under sanctions when it was taken into American control.
American agencies are now pursuing a third vessel, which has been named by the risk management group a risk firm as the Bella 1. President Donald Trump stated yesterday that “it will ultimately be secured”.
Writing on the social media platform X, the maritime monitoring group said 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 fuel left unless her speed drops”.
The monitoring service further stated the vessel is “probably traveling south-east towards South Africa”.