Satellite Image Reveals Initial Venezuelan Oil Ship Confiscated by American Authorities is Now Off the Texas Coast.
American personnel boarding the vessel of the 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 allegedly transporting sanctioned oil from the Venezuelan regime – is currently positioned near of the state of Texas.
A satellite firm's satellite imagery dated 21 December indicates the ship is near Galveston, while Automatic Identification System ship-tracking feeds from a maritime data service presently positions the vessel about 50 miles offshore.
The Skipper was seized by US authorities on 10 December and has been sanctioned by several nations. At the time it was intercepted, it was falsely sailing under the flag of Guyana.
This interception was followed by the interception of a second oil vessel, the Centuries. This ship – in contrast to the Skipper – was not yet under sanctions when it was taken into American control.
American agencies are now pursuing a third vessel, which has been identified by the risk management group Vanguard as the Bella 1 tanker. President Donald Trump stated recently that “it will ultimately be secured”.
Writing on X, the TankerTrackers group said the Bella 1 has been “underway for 39 days” and, at an typical pace of 11 knots, may have “approximately a month of fuel remaining unless her velocity decreases”.
The group added the tanker is “probably heading south-east towards the South African coast”.
