Imagery Data Reveals Initial Venezuela-Linked Oil Ship Seized by US is Now Off the Texas Coast.
American personnel boarding the vessel of the Skipper on 10 December.
Orbital data and vessel monitoring data has verified that the oil tanker named Skipper – the initial vessel seized by the US for allegedly transporting sanctioned oil from the Venezuelan regime – is currently off the coast of Texas.
Vantor satellite imagery from 21 December shows the ship is near the port of Galveston, while AIS vessel-tracking data from a maritime data service currently positions the vessel about 80km offshore.
The tanker Skipper was taken into custody by American officials on 10 December and has been sanctioned by multiple nations. When it was seized, it was incorrectly flying the flag of Guyana.
This interception was succeeded by the capture of a second oil vessel, the Centuries. This ship – in contrast to the first vessel – was not under official restrictions when it was taken into American control.
US authorities are currently pursuing a third vessel, which has been identified by the maritime risk group a risk firm as the Bella 1 tanker. The US President said recently that “it will ultimately be secured”.
Writing on X, the maritime monitoring group noted 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 remaining unless her velocity drops”.
The monitoring service further stated the vessel is “probably heading south-east towards the South African coast”.
