Satellite Image Shows Initial Venezuela-Linked Oil Ship Confiscated by American Authorities is Now Off the Texas Coast.
US agents boarding the vessel of the Skipper on 10 December.
Orbital data and vessel monitoring data has confirmed that the oil tanker named Skipper – the first vessel apprehended by the US for reportedly transporting sanctioned crude from Venezuela – is currently positioned near of Texas.
A satellite firm's orbital photographs dated 21 December indicates the tanker is near the port of Galveston, while AIS ship-tracking data from a maritime data service presently places the vessel about 50 miles offshore.
The Skipper was taken into custody by US authorities on 10 December and has been sanctioned by multiple governments. When it was seized, it was falsely flying the flag of Guyana.
This seizure was succeeded by the interception of a second tanker, the Centuries. It – in contrast to the Skipper – was not under official restrictions when it was taken into US custody.
US authorities are now targeting a third such vessel, which has been named by the risk management group Vanguard as the Bella 1 tanker. President Donald Trump said yesterday that “it will ultimately be secured”.
Writing on the social media platform X, the TankerTrackers group noted the Bella 1 has been “in transit for 39 days” and, at an typical pace of 11 knots, may have “approximately a month of fuel remaining unless her velocity decreases”.
The monitoring service further stated the tanker is “likely heading south-east towards South Africa”.
