Satellite Image Shows Initial Venezuelan Tanker Seized by American Authorities is Now Near the Texas Coast.
US personnel roped onto the deck of the Skipper on 10 December.
Satellite imagery and vessel monitoring data has verified that the crude carrier named Skipper – the initial vessel seized by the United States for allegedly transporting sanctioned crude from the Venezuelan regime – is currently off the coast of Texas.
A satellite firm's satellite imagery dated 21 December indicates the tanker is in the vicinity of Galveston, while Automatic Identification System ship-tracking feeds from a maritime data service presently places the Skipper about 80km offshore.
The Skipper was seized by US authorities on the tenth of December and has been blacklisted by multiple governments. When it was intercepted, it was incorrectly flying the flag of Guyana.
This interception was succeeded by the capture of a another oil vessel, the Centuries. It – unlike the first vessel – was not under sanctions when it was taken into American control.
US authorities are currently targeting a third ship, which has been named by the maritime risk group a risk firm as the Bella 1. President Donald Trump stated yesterday that “it will ultimately be secured”.
Writing on X, the maritime monitoring group said the vessel Bella 1 has been “in transit for 39 days” and, at an typical pace of 11 nautical miles per hour, may have “approximately a month of diesel left unless her velocity decreases”.
The monitoring service added the vessel is “probably traveling south-east towards South Africa”.
