Satellite Image Shows Initial Venezuela-Linked Tanker Seized by American Authorities is Now Off Texas.
American personnel boarding the vessel of the Skipper on December 10th.
Satellite imagery and ship tracking information has confirmed that the oil tanker named Skipper – the initial vessel seized by the US for reportedly transporting sanctioned crude from the Venezuelan regime – is now off the coast of the state of Texas.
Vantor satellite imagery from 21 December shows the ship is near the port of Galveston, while Automatic Identification System vessel-tracking feeds from MarineTraffic presently places the Skipper about 50 miles from the coast.
The Skipper was seized by US authorities on 10 December and has been sanctioned by multiple governments. At the time it was seized, it was falsely sailing under the flag of Guyana.
This interception was followed by the capture of a another oil vessel, the Centuries. It – in contrast to the Skipper – was not yet under sanctions when it was brought under US custody.
American agencies are now pursuing a third such ship, which has been identified by the maritime risk group Vanguard as the Bella 1. The US President said recently that “we’ll end up getting it”.
Writing on the social media platform X, the TankerTrackers group said the Bella 1 has been “in transit for 39 days” and, at an average speed of 11 nautical miles per hour, may have “another 28 to 35 days of diesel left unless her speed drops”.
The group added the vessel is “likely traveling in a southeasterly direction towards the South African coast”.
