Imagery Data Reveals Initial Venezuelan Tanker Confiscated by US is Now Off the Texas Coast.
American agents boarding the deck of the tanker Skipper on 10 December.
Satellite imagery and ship tracking data has verified that the oil tanker named Skipper – the initial vessel apprehended by the United States for reportedly carrying embargoed crude from the Venezuelan regime – is now off the coast of Texas.
Vantor orbital photographs dated 21 December indicates the ship is near the port of Galveston, while AIS vessel-tracking feeds from a maritime data service presently positions the vessel about 80km from the coast.
The Skipper was seized by American officials on 10 December and has been sanctioned by multiple nations. At the time it was intercepted, it was incorrectly sailing under the flag of the nation of Guyana.
This interception was followed by the capture of a second tanker, the Centuries tanker. This ship – unlike the first vessel – was not yet under sanctions when it was brought under American control.
American agencies are now pursuing a third vessel, which has been identified by the maritime risk group Vanguard as the Bella 1. President Donald Trump said yesterday that “it will ultimately be secured”.
Writing on the social media platform X, the TankerTrackers group noted the vessel Bella 1 has been “in transit for 39 days” and, at an typical pace of 11 knots, may have “another 28 to 35 days of diesel remaining unless her speed decreases”.
The monitoring service added the vessel is “likely traveling in a southeasterly direction towards South Africa”.
