Satellite Image Shows Initial Venezuelan Oil Ship Confiscated by US is Currently Off the Texas Coast.
US personnel boarding the deck of the tanker Skipper on December 10th.
Orbital data and vessel monitoring data has verified that the crude carrier named Skipper – the first vessel seized by the US for reportedly transporting embargoed oil from Venezuela – is now off the coast of the state of Texas.
A satellite firm's satellite imagery dated 21 December shows the tanker is in the vicinity of Galveston, while AIS ship-tracking data from a maritime data service presently places the vessel about 50 miles from the coast.
The tanker Skipper was taken into custody by US authorities on 10 December and has been blacklisted by several governments. At the time it was intercepted, it was incorrectly sailing under the flag of the nation of Guyana.
This seizure was followed by the capture of a another oil vessel, the Centuries tanker. This ship – unlike the Skipper – was not under sanctions when it was brought under American control.
US authorities are now targeting a third vessel, which has been named by the maritime risk group Vanguard as the Bella 1. President Donald Trump stated yesterday 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 typical pace of 11 knots, may have “another 28 to 35 days of fuel remaining unless her velocity drops”.
The group further stated the vessel is “likely heading south-east towards the South African coast”.