Imagery Image Shows First Venezuelan Tanker Confiscated by American Authorities is Now Off Texas.
American agents roped onto the deck of the Skipper on December 10th.
Orbital data and vessel monitoring information has confirmed that the oil tanker Skipper – the initial vessel seized by the US for reportedly carrying embargoed crude from the Venezuelan regime – is now off the coast of Texas.
A satellite firm's orbital photographs dated 21 December shows the ship is near the port of Galveston, while AIS vessel-tracking feeds from a maritime data service currently places the vessel about 80km from the coast.
The Skipper was seized by US authorities on the tenth of December and has been sanctioned by several governments. At the time it was seized, it was falsely flying the ensign of Guyana.
This interception was followed by the interception of a second tanker, the Centuries tanker. It – unlike the Skipper – was not yet under official restrictions when it was brought under US custody.
US authorities are currently targeting a third ship, which has been named by the maritime risk group Vanguard as the Bella 1 tanker. The US President said recently that “it will ultimately be secured”.
Writing on X, the TankerTrackers group noted the Bella 1 has been “underway for over a month” and, at an typical pace of 11 knots, may have “another 28 to 35 days of diesel left unless her speed drops”.
The monitoring service further stated the vessel is “likely traveling south-east towards the South African coast”.
