Satellite Data Reveals Initial Venezuela-Linked Tanker Seized by US is Now Off Texas.
American personnel boarding the vessel of the Skipper on December 10th.
Orbital data and vessel monitoring information has confirmed that the oil tanker Skipper – the first vessel apprehended by the United States for reportedly transporting sanctioned crude from the Venezuelan regime – is currently off the coast of the state of Texas.
A satellite firm's satellite imagery dated 21 December indicates the tanker is near Galveston, while Automatic Identification System vessel-tracking data from MarineTraffic presently places the Skipper about 50 miles offshore.
The Skipper was seized by US authorities on 10 December and has been blacklisted by several nations. When it was seized, it was falsely flying the flag of the nation of Guyana.
This seizure was succeeded by the capture of a another tanker, the Centuries. It – in contrast to the first vessel – was not under official restrictions when it was brought under US custody.
US authorities are now pursuing a third ship, which has been identified by the risk management group a risk firm as the Bella 1 tanker. President Donald Trump said recently that “it will ultimately be secured”.
Writing on the social media platform X, the maritime monitoring group noted the vessel Bella 1 has been “in transit for 39 days” and, at an typical pace of 11 nautical miles per hour, may have “another 28 to 35 days of diesel left unless her velocity decreases”.
The monitoring service added the tanker is “likely traveling in a southeasterly direction towards South Africa”.
