Satellite Data Shows First Venezuela-Linked Oil Ship Confiscated by American Authorities is Now Near Texas.
US agents boarding the vessel of the tanker Skipper on 10 December.
Satellite imagery and vessel monitoring data has confirmed that the crude carrier named Skipper – the first vessel seized by the US for reportedly transporting embargoed oil from Venezuela – is now positioned near of the state of Texas.
Vantor satellite imagery from 21 December indicates the tanker is in the vicinity of the port of Galveston, while Automatic Identification System ship-tracking data from a maritime data service currently places the Skipper about 50 miles from the coast.
The tanker Skipper was taken into custody by American officials on 10 December and has been sanctioned by several nations. When it was intercepted, it was incorrectly flying the flag of the nation of Guyana.
This seizure was succeeded by the capture of a second oil vessel, the Centuries tanker. This ship – unlike the first vessel – was not yet under sanctions when it was brought under US custody.
American agencies are now targeting a third such vessel, which has been identified by the maritime risk group Vanguard as the Bella 1. The US President stated recently that “we’ll end up getting it”.
Writing on the social media platform X, the TankerTrackers group noted the vessel Bella 1 has been “underway for 39 days” and, at an average speed of 11 knots, may have “another 28 to 35 days of fuel remaining unless her velocity decreases”.
The group further stated the vessel is “likely traveling in a southeasterly direction towards South Africa”.
