Satellite Image Reveals First Venezuela-Linked Oil Ship Seized by American Authorities is Currently Near the Texas Coast.
US agents roped onto the deck of the Skipper on 10 December.
Satellite imagery and ship tracking information has verified that the oil tanker Skipper – the first vessel apprehended by the United States for reportedly carrying sanctioned oil from Venezuela – is currently off the coast of Texas.
Vantor satellite imagery dated 21 December indicates the tanker is in the vicinity of the port of Galveston, while AIS ship-tracking feeds from a maritime data service currently places the Skipper about 80km offshore.
The Skipper was seized by US authorities on the tenth of 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 succeeded by the capture of a second oil vessel, the Centuries tanker. It – in contrast to the Skipper – was not yet under official restrictions when it was taken into US custody.
American agencies are currently pursuing a third ship, which has been identified by the maritime risk group Vanguard as the Bella 1. The US President said yesterday 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 “approximately a month of fuel left unless her velocity decreases”.
The group further stated the vessel is “likely heading in a southeasterly direction towards the South African coast”.
