Satellite Image Reveals First Venezuela-Linked Oil Ship Seized by US is Now Off Texas.
American agents boarding the deck of the tanker Skipper on December 10th.
Satellite imagery and vessel monitoring information has confirmed that the oil tanker Skipper – the first vessel apprehended by the US for allegedly transporting sanctioned crude from Venezuela – is now positioned near of the state of Texas.
A satellite firm's satellite imagery from 21 December indicates the ship is near Galveston, while AIS vessel-tracking data from MarineTraffic currently positions the Skipper about 50 miles offshore.
The tanker Skipper was seized by US authorities on 10 December and has been blacklisted by several governments. When it was seized, it was incorrectly flying the flag of Guyana.
This interception was followed by the capture of a another tanker, the Centuries. This ship – unlike the Skipper – was not yet under sanctions when it was brought under American control.
American agencies are now pursuing a third such vessel, which has been identified by the risk management group Vanguard as the Bella 1 tanker. The US President stated yesterday that “we’ll end up getting it”.
Writing on X, the maritime monitoring group said the vessel 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 diesel left unless her speed drops”.
The monitoring service added the vessel is “probably traveling in a southeasterly direction towards South Africa”.
