Imagery Image Reveals First Venezuelan Tanker Confiscated by American Authorities is Now Off Texas.
US agents roped onto the vessel of the tanker Skipper on December 10th.
Orbital data and ship tracking data has confirmed that the oil tanker named Skipper – the initial vessel seized by the United States for allegedly carrying embargoed oil from the Venezuelan regime – is now off the coast of Texas.
A satellite firm's orbital photographs from 21 December indicates the tanker is near the port of Galveston, while AIS ship-tracking data from MarineTraffic presently positions the vessel about 50 miles from the coast.
The Skipper was taken into custody by US authorities on 10 December and has been sanctioned by multiple governments. When it was seized, it was incorrectly flying the ensign of the nation of Guyana.
This seizure was followed by the interception of a second oil vessel, the Centuries. This ship – unlike the first vessel – was not yet under sanctions when it was taken into US custody.
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 said yesterday that “we’ll end up getting it”.
Writing on X, the maritime monitoring group said the Bella 1 has been “in transit for over a month” and, at an average speed of 11 nautical miles per hour, may have “another 28 to 35 days of fuel remaining unless her velocity drops”.
The monitoring service further stated the vessel is “likely heading south-east towards the South African coast”.
