Satellite Image Shows Initial Venezuela-Linked Oil Ship Seized by American Authorities is Now Off the Texas Coast.
American personnel boarding the vessel of the Skipper on December 10th.
Satellite imagery and ship tracking information has verified that the oil tanker named Skipper – the initial vessel apprehended by the United States for allegedly transporting sanctioned crude from Venezuela – is now off the coast of Texas.
Vantor orbital photographs from 21 December indicates the ship is near Galveston, while Automatic Identification System vessel-tracking feeds from a maritime data service presently places the vessel about 80km from the coast.
The Skipper was taken into custody by US authorities on 10 December and has been sanctioned by multiple nations. When it was seized, it was falsely sailing under the ensign of the nation of Guyana.
This seizure was succeeded by the interception of a another oil vessel, the Centuries tanker. It – unlike the Skipper – was not under sanctions when it was brought under American control.
American agencies are now pursuing a third vessel, which has been identified by the maritime risk group Vanguard as the Bella 1. President Donald Trump stated recently that “it will ultimately be secured”.
Writing on the social media platform X, the maritime monitoring group said the Bella 1 has been “in transit for 39 days” and, at an typical pace of 11 knots, may have “another 28 to 35 days of fuel remaining unless her velocity drops”.
The group further stated the vessel is “likely traveling in a southeasterly direction towards South Africa”.
