Satellite Image Shows Initial Venezuelan Oil Ship Seized by US is Currently Near Texas.
US personnel roped onto the deck of the tanker Skipper on December 10th.
Orbital data and vessel monitoring data has confirmed that the oil tanker Skipper – the first vessel seized by the US for reportedly carrying embargoed crude from Venezuela – is currently positioned near of Texas.
A satellite firm's orbital photographs from 21 December shows the tanker is in the vicinity of the port of Galveston, while Automatic Identification System vessel-tracking feeds from MarineTraffic presently places the vessel about 80km offshore.
The Skipper was taken into custody by American officials on 10 December and has been sanctioned by several nations. At the time it was intercepted, it was falsely sailing under the ensign of Guyana.
This seizure was followed by the capture of a another tanker, the Centuries. It – in contrast to the first vessel – was not under sanctions when it was taken into American control.
US authorities are currently pursuing a third such vessel, which has been named by the risk management group Vanguard 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 “underway for 39 days” and, at an average speed of 11 knots, may have “approximately a month of diesel remaining unless her velocity decreases”.
The group further stated the tanker is “likely heading south-east towards the South African coast”.