Satellite Image Reveals Initial Venezuelan Tanker Seized by US is Now Near Texas.
US personnel roped onto the deck of the Skipper on December 10th.
Orbital data and ship tracking information has confirmed that the oil tanker named Skipper – the first vessel seized by the United States for reportedly transporting embargoed crude from Venezuela – is currently off the coast of Texas.
A satellite firm's orbital photographs dated 21 December indicates the ship is in the vicinity of Galveston, while AIS ship-tracking feeds from a maritime data service presently positions the vessel about 80km offshore.
The tanker Skipper was seized by US authorities on the tenth of December and has been sanctioned by several governments. When it was seized, it was incorrectly sailing under the flag of Guyana.
This interception was succeeded by the interception of a another oil vessel, the Centuries tanker. This ship – in contrast to the first vessel – was not under sanctions when it was brought under American control.
US authorities are currently pursuing a third vessel, which has been identified by the maritime risk group Vanguard as the Bella 1 tanker. The US President stated yesterday that “it will ultimately be secured”.
Writing on the social media platform X, the TankerTrackers group noted the vessel Bella 1 has been “in transit for 39 days” and, at an typical pace of 11 knots, may have “approximately a month of diesel remaining unless her speed decreases”.
The monitoring service added the tanker is “probably traveling south-east towards the South African coast”.
