Satellite Data Reveals First Venezuela-Linked Oil Ship Seized by American Authorities is Currently Off the Texas Coast.
American agents boarding the vessel of the Skipper on December 10th.
Orbital data and vessel monitoring data has verified that the oil tanker Skipper – the first vessel seized by the US for allegedly transporting embargoed oil from Venezuela – is now positioned near of the state of Texas.
Vantor satellite imagery dated 21 December indicates the ship is in the vicinity of the port of Galveston, while Automatic Identification System vessel-tracking data from a maritime data service currently positions the Skipper about 50 miles from the coast.
The Skipper was seized by American officials on the tenth of December and has been sanctioned by multiple nations. At the time it was intercepted, it was incorrectly flying the ensign of the nation of Guyana.
This seizure was followed by the capture of a another oil vessel, the Centuries tanker. This ship – unlike the first vessel – was not yet under sanctions when it was taken into American control.
American agencies are currently pursuing a third ship, which has been identified by the maritime risk group a risk firm as the Bella 1. The US President 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 39 days” and, at an typical pace of 11 knots, may have “another 28 to 35 days of diesel left unless her velocity decreases”.
The monitoring service added the tanker is “probably traveling south-east towards South Africa”.
