Imagery Data Shows First Venezuelan Oil Ship Confiscated by American Authorities is Currently Off Texas.
American personnel boarding the vessel of the tanker Skipper on 10 December.
Satellite imagery and vessel monitoring information has verified that the oil tanker named Skipper – the initial vessel seized by the United States for reportedly carrying embargoed crude from Venezuela – is now off the coast of Texas.
A satellite firm's orbital photographs from 21 December indicates the ship is in the vicinity of the port of Galveston, while AIS ship-tracking data from a maritime data service currently places the Skipper about 50 miles offshore.
The Skipper was taken into custody by American officials on the tenth of December and has been blacklisted by several nations. At the time it was intercepted, it was falsely sailing under the ensign of Guyana.
This seizure was succeeded by the capture of a second oil vessel, the Centuries tanker. It – unlike the first vessel – was not yet under sanctions when it was brought under US custody.
US authorities are currently targeting a third vessel, which has been identified by the maritime risk group a risk firm as the Bella 1. The US President said yesterday that “it will ultimately be secured”.
Writing on X, the TankerTrackers group said the vessel Bella 1 has been “in transit for over a month” and, at an average speed of 11 knots, may have “approximately a month of diesel left unless her speed drops”.
The group added the tanker is “likely heading in a southeasterly direction towards South Africa”.
