Satellite Image Shows First Venezuelan Oil Ship Seized by American Authorities is Now Near the Texas Coast.
American personnel roped onto the deck of the tanker Skipper on 10 December.
Orbital data and ship tracking information has verified that the crude carrier Skipper – the initial vessel seized by the US for allegedly carrying embargoed oil from the Venezuelan regime – is currently positioned near of Texas.
A satellite firm's satellite imagery from 21 December shows the ship is in the vicinity of Galveston, while AIS vessel-tracking data from a maritime data service presently positions the vessel about 50 miles offshore.
The Skipper was taken into custody by US authorities on the tenth of December and has been sanctioned by several governments. When it was seized, it was incorrectly flying the ensign of the nation of Guyana.
This interception was succeeded by the capture of a second oil vessel, the Centuries tanker. This ship – unlike the Skipper – was not yet under official restrictions when it was brought under American control.
US authorities are now pursuing a third such ship, which has been named by the maritime risk group a risk firm as the Bella 1. The US President stated recently that “it will ultimately be secured”.
Writing on the social media platform X, the maritime monitoring group noted the vessel Bella 1 has been “underway for 39 days” and, at an average speed of 11 nautical miles per hour, may have “approximately a month of fuel remaining unless her velocity decreases”.
The monitoring service added the vessel is “likely traveling in a southeasterly direction towards South Africa”.
