Imagery Image Reveals Initial Venezuelan Oil Ship Seized by American Authorities is Currently Near Texas.
American personnel boarding the deck of the Skipper on 10 December.
Orbital data and ship tracking data has confirmed that the oil tanker named Skipper – the initial vessel apprehended by the US for allegedly carrying embargoed oil from Venezuela – is now off the coast of the state of Texas.
Vantor satellite imagery from 21 December shows the tanker is in the vicinity of Galveston, while AIS ship-tracking data from a maritime data service presently places the Skipper about 80km from the coast.
The Skipper was taken into custody by US authorities on 10 December and has been sanctioned by multiple governments. At the time it was intercepted, it was falsely flying the flag of Guyana.
This seizure was followed by the interception of a another tanker, the Centuries tanker. It – unlike the Skipper – was not under sanctions when it was brought under US custody.
American agencies are now pursuing a third ship, which has been identified by the maritime risk group a risk firm as the Bella 1. President Donald Trump said recently that “it will ultimately be secured”.
Writing on the social media platform X, the maritime monitoring group said the Bella 1 has been “underway for over a month” and, at an average speed of 11 knots, may have “approximately a month of fuel left unless her velocity decreases”.
The group added the tanker is “probably heading south-east towards South Africa”.
