Imagery Data Reveals First Venezuela-Linked Tanker Seized by US is Currently Near Texas.
US personnel roped onto the vessel of the Skipper on December 10th.
Orbital data and vessel monitoring information has verified that the oil tanker named Skipper – the first vessel apprehended by the US for reportedly carrying sanctioned crude from the Venezuelan regime – is currently positioned near of the state of Texas.
A satellite firm's satellite imagery dated 21 December shows the tanker is in the vicinity of Galveston, while Automatic Identification System ship-tracking data from a maritime data service currently places the Skipper about 80km offshore.
The tanker Skipper was taken into custody by US authorities on the tenth of December and has been sanctioned by multiple governments. When it was intercepted, it was falsely sailing under the flag of the nation of Guyana.
This seizure was followed by the capture of a second oil vessel, the Centuries. This ship – unlike the first vessel – was not under sanctions when it was brought under US custody.
US authorities are currently targeting a third such ship, which has been named by the maritime risk group a risk firm as the Bella 1. President Donald Trump stated recently that “we’ll end up getting it”.
Writing on the social media platform X, the maritime monitoring group noted the Bella 1 has been “in transit for 39 days” and, at an average speed of 11 nautical miles per hour, may have “approximately a month of fuel left unless her speed drops”.
The monitoring service further stated the tanker is “probably traveling south-east towards South Africa”.
