Imagery Data Shows Initial Venezuelan Oil Ship Confiscated by American Authorities is Currently Near Texas.
American agents roped onto the vessel of the Skipper on 10 December.
Satellite imagery and vessel monitoring data has verified that the oil tanker Skipper – the first vessel apprehended by the United States for allegedly carrying embargoed oil from the Venezuelan regime – is currently off the coast of Texas.
A satellite firm's satellite imagery dated 21 December shows the tanker is in the vicinity of Galveston, while AIS vessel-tracking feeds from a maritime data service currently places the vessel about 50 miles from the coast.
The tanker Skipper was seized by US authorities on 10 December and has been sanctioned by several nations. At the time it was seized, it was incorrectly sailing under the flag of the nation of Guyana.
This interception was succeeded by the interception of a second oil vessel, the Centuries tanker. This ship – in contrast to the first vessel – was not under sanctions when it was brought under American control.
American agencies are now pursuing a third such ship, which has been identified by the risk management group Vanguard as the Bella 1 tanker. President Donald Trump stated yesterday that “we’ll end up getting it”.
Writing on X, the TankerTrackers group said the Bella 1 has been “underway for over a month” and, at an typical pace of 11 nautical miles per hour, may have “approximately a month of diesel left unless her velocity decreases”.
The group further stated the tanker is “likely heading south-east towards the South African coast”.
