Imagery Image Shows First Venezuela-Linked Oil Ship Confiscated by American Authorities is Currently Near Texas.
US personnel roped onto the vessel of the tanker Skipper on December 10th.
Orbital data and vessel monitoring information has confirmed that the crude carrier named Skipper – the first vessel seized by the US for allegedly carrying sanctioned crude from Venezuela – is currently positioned near of the state of Texas.
A satellite firm's satellite imagery dated 21 December indicates the ship is in the vicinity of the port of Galveston, while AIS vessel-tracking feeds from MarineTraffic currently positions the Skipper about 50 miles offshore.
The tanker Skipper was seized by American officials on 10 December and has been blacklisted by multiple nations. At the time it was intercepted, it was falsely flying the ensign of the nation of Guyana.
This seizure was succeeded by the capture of a second tanker, the Centuries tanker. It – in contrast to the first vessel – was not yet under sanctions when it was taken into American control.
American agencies are currently pursuing a third vessel, which has been identified by the risk management group a risk firm as the Bella 1 tanker. President Donald Trump stated recently that “it will ultimately be secured”.
Writing on X, the maritime monitoring group said the Bella 1 has been “underway for over a month” and, at an typical pace of 11 nautical miles per hour, may have “approximately a month of fuel remaining unless her velocity decreases”.
The monitoring service added the vessel is “probably traveling south-east towards the South African coast”.