Satellite Image Reveals First Venezuela-Linked Oil Ship Seized by US is Currently Near the Texas Coast.
American agents roped onto the deck of the tanker Skipper on December 10th.
Satellite imagery and vessel monitoring information has verified that the oil tanker Skipper – the initial vessel apprehended by the US for reportedly carrying sanctioned oil from Venezuela – is now off the coast of Texas.
Vantor satellite imagery from 21 December indicates the tanker is in the vicinity of Galveston, while Automatic Identification System vessel-tracking data from a maritime data service presently places the vessel about 80km offshore.
The tanker Skipper was taken into custody by American officials on 10 December and has been sanctioned by several nations. When it was intercepted, it was incorrectly sailing under the ensign of the nation of Guyana.
This seizure was succeeded by the interception of a second oil vessel, the Centuries tanker. This ship – unlike the Skipper – was not yet under official restrictions when it was brought under US custody.
US authorities are now targeting a third such ship, which has been identified by the maritime risk group a risk firm as the Bella 1. The US President stated yesterday that “we’ll end up getting it”.
Writing on the social media platform X, the maritime monitoring group said the vessel Bella 1 has been “in transit for 39 days” and, at an typical pace of 11 knots, may have “another 28 to 35 days of fuel left unless her speed decreases”.
The group added the vessel is “probably traveling in a southeasterly direction towards the South African coast”.