Imagery Image Reveals Initial Venezuelan Oil Ship Seized by American Authorities is Currently Off Texas.
American personnel boarding the deck of the Skipper on December 10th.
Orbital data and ship tracking information has confirmed that the oil tanker Skipper – the initial vessel seized by the US for reportedly transporting sanctioned oil from Venezuela – is currently off the coast of Texas.
A satellite firm's satellite imagery from 21 December indicates the ship is near the port of Galveston, while AIS vessel-tracking feeds from a maritime data service presently places the Skipper about 80km from the coast.
The tanker Skipper was taken into custody by American officials on the tenth of December and has been blacklisted by several governments. 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 tanker, the Centuries tanker. This ship – unlike the Skipper – was not yet under sanctions when it was taken into American control.
American agencies are currently targeting a third ship, which has been identified by the maritime risk group Vanguard as the Bella 1. The US President stated recently that “it will ultimately be secured”.
Writing on X, the TankerTrackers group noted the Bella 1 has been “underway for over a month” and, at an average speed of 11 knots, may have “approximately a month of diesel left unless her velocity decreases”.
The group further stated the vessel is “probably heading in a southeasterly direction towards the South African coast”.
