Imagery Image Reveals First Venezuelan Tanker Seized by American Authorities is Now Off Texas.
US personnel roped onto the deck of the Skipper on 10 December.
Satellite imagery and ship tracking information has verified that the crude carrier Skipper – the first vessel apprehended by the US for reportedly transporting embargoed crude from Venezuela – is currently off the coast of the state of Texas.
A satellite firm's orbital photographs dated 21 December shows the tanker is in the vicinity of Galveston, while Automatic Identification System ship-tracking data from MarineTraffic currently positions the vessel about 50 miles offshore.
The Skipper was seized by US authorities on 10 December and has been sanctioned by several nations. When it was intercepted, it was falsely sailing under the ensign of Guyana.
This interception was followed by the capture of a another oil vessel, the Centuries. This ship – in contrast to the Skipper – 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 maritime risk group a risk firm as the Bella 1 tanker. President Donald Trump stated recently that “it will ultimately be secured”.
Writing on X, the maritime monitoring group noted the Bella 1 has been “underway for 39 days” and, at an average speed of 11 nautical miles per hour, may have “approximately a month of fuel remaining unless her velocity drops”.
The group added the vessel is “probably traveling in a southeasterly direction towards the South African coast”.
