Imagery Data Reveals First Venezuelan Tanker Confiscated by American Authorities is Currently Near the Texas Coast.
US personnel roped onto the vessel of the tanker Skipper on 10 December.
Orbital data and vessel monitoring data has confirmed that the crude carrier named Skipper – the first vessel apprehended by the United States for allegedly transporting sanctioned oil from Venezuela – is currently off the coast of Texas.
A satellite firm's orbital photographs dated 21 December shows the tanker is near the port of Galveston, while AIS vessel-tracking feeds from a maritime data service presently positions the Skipper about 50 miles from the coast.
The tanker Skipper was taken into custody by American officials on the tenth of December and has been blacklisted by several governments. At the time it was intercepted, it was falsely sailing under the flag of the nation of Guyana.
This interception was succeeded by the capture of a another oil vessel, the Centuries. This ship – in contrast to the Skipper – was not under sanctions when it was brought under American control.
American agencies are now targeting a third ship, which has been named by the maritime risk group Vanguard as the Bella 1. The US President stated recently that “it will ultimately be secured”.
Writing on X, the maritime monitoring group said the vessel Bella 1 has been “underway for over a month” and, at an typical pace of 11 nautical miles per hour, may have “another 28 to 35 days of fuel remaining unless her speed decreases”.
The monitoring service added the tanker is “likely traveling south-east towards the South African coast”.
