Imagery Data Reveals Initial Venezuelan Tanker Confiscated by US is Currently Off the Texas Coast.
American agents roped onto the deck of the tanker Skipper on 10 December.
Satellite imagery and ship tracking information has confirmed that the oil tanker named Skipper – the first vessel apprehended by the United States for allegedly carrying embargoed crude from the Venezuelan regime – is now positioned near of the state of Texas.
A satellite firm's orbital photographs from 21 December shows the ship is in the vicinity of Galveston, while Automatic Identification System vessel-tracking data from a maritime data service currently positions the vessel about 50 miles from the coast.
The tanker Skipper was taken into custody by US authorities on 10 December and has been blacklisted by multiple nations. At the time it was intercepted, it was falsely flying the flag of the nation of Guyana.
This seizure was followed by the interception of a another oil vessel, the Centuries. It – in contrast to 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 named by the maritime risk group a risk firm as the Bella 1 tanker. The US President stated yesterday that “we’ll end up getting it”.
Writing on the social media platform X, the maritime monitoring group noted the Bella 1 has been “in transit for over a month” and, at an typical pace of 11 knots, may have “another 28 to 35 days of fuel remaining unless her velocity decreases”.
The group further stated the vessel is “probably traveling in a southeasterly direction towards South Africa”.
