Imagery Image Reveals Initial Venezuela-Linked Tanker Seized by US is Currently Near the Texas Coast.
American personnel roped onto the deck of the tanker Skipper on December 10th.
Orbital data and vessel monitoring information has confirmed that the crude carrier named Skipper – the initial vessel apprehended by the United States for reportedly transporting sanctioned oil from the Venezuelan regime – is now off the coast of Texas.
A satellite firm's orbital photographs dated 21 December shows the tanker is near Galveston, while Automatic Identification System vessel-tracking data from a maritime data service presently places the vessel about 80km offshore.
The Skipper was taken into custody by US authorities on 10 December and has been blacklisted by multiple nations. At the time it was seized, it was incorrectly flying the ensign of Guyana.
This seizure was succeeded by the capture of a another oil vessel, the Centuries tanker. It – unlike the Skipper – was not under official restrictions when it was brought under American control.
US authorities are now pursuing a third such ship, which has been named by the risk management group Vanguard as the Bella 1. President Donald Trump stated recently that “we’ll end up getting it”.
Writing on the social media platform X, the TankerTrackers group said the Bella 1 has been “in transit for over a month” and, at an typical pace of 11 nautical miles per hour, may have “another 28 to 35 days of fuel remaining unless her velocity drops”.
The monitoring service added the vessel is “likely heading in a southeasterly direction towards the South African coast”.
