Imagery Data Reveals Initial Venezuelan Oil Ship Seized by American Authorities is Now Off the Texas Coast.
American personnel boarding the vessel of the tanker Skipper on December 10th.
Orbital data and vessel monitoring information has verified that the oil tanker Skipper – the initial vessel seized by the United States for allegedly carrying sanctioned oil from Venezuela – is currently off the coast of Texas.
A satellite firm's orbital photographs from 21 December shows the ship is near Galveston, while AIS vessel-tracking data from a maritime data service currently positions the Skipper about 50 miles from the coast.
The tanker Skipper was taken into custody by American officials on the tenth of December and has been blacklisted by multiple nations. At the time it was intercepted, it was falsely flying the flag of the nation of Guyana.
This interception was succeeded by the interception of a another oil vessel, the Centuries. This ship – in contrast to the first vessel – was not under official restrictions when it was brought under American control.
American agencies are currently pursuing a third such vessel, which has been identified by the risk management group a risk firm as the Bella 1 tanker. The US President said yesterday that “it will ultimately be secured”.
Writing on the social media platform X, the TankerTrackers group said the vessel Bella 1 has been “in transit for 39 days” and, at an average speed of 11 knots, may have “approximately a month of diesel left unless her velocity decreases”.
The monitoring service further stated the tanker is “likely traveling south-east towards the South African coast”.
