Imagery Image Shows First Venezuela-Linked Oil Ship Confiscated by US is Now Off the Texas Coast.
American agents roped onto the vessel of the Skipper on 10 December.
Satellite imagery and ship tracking information has confirmed that the oil tanker named Skipper – the first vessel seized by the US for allegedly carrying sanctioned crude from the Venezuelan regime – is now off the coast of Texas.
A satellite firm's satellite imagery from 21 December indicates the ship is near the port of Galveston, while Automatic Identification System ship-tracking feeds from MarineTraffic presently positions the vessel about 80km from the coast.
The tanker Skipper was taken into custody by American officials on 10 December and has been sanctioned by several governments. When it was seized, it was incorrectly flying the ensign of the nation of Guyana.
This interception was followed by the capture of a another oil vessel, the Centuries tanker. 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 named by the maritime risk group a risk firm as the Bella 1. The US President stated yesterday that “we’ll end up getting it”.
Writing on X, the TankerTrackers group said the Bella 1 has been “underway for 39 days” and, at an average speed of 11 knots, may have “approximately a month of diesel left unless her velocity drops”.
The group added the tanker is “probably heading in a southeasterly direction towards the South African coast”.
