Imagery Image Shows First Venezuela-Linked Oil Ship Confiscated by American Authorities is Currently Near the Texas Coast.
American agents roped onto the deck of the Skipper on 10 December.
Orbital data and vessel monitoring data has verified that the crude carrier Skipper – the initial vessel apprehended by the United States for allegedly carrying embargoed oil from Venezuela – is now positioned near of the state of Texas.
Vantor satellite imagery from 21 December shows the tanker is in the vicinity of the port of Galveston, while AIS ship-tracking data from MarineTraffic currently places the Skipper about 80km offshore.
The tanker Skipper was taken into custody by American officials on 10 December and has been sanctioned by multiple governments. When it was intercepted, it was falsely flying the flag of the nation of Guyana.
This seizure was succeeded by the capture of a another tanker, the Centuries. It – in contrast to the first vessel – was not under official restrictions when it was taken into US custody.
US authorities are currently targeting a third such ship, which has been identified by the maritime risk group Vanguard as the Bella 1 tanker. President Donald Trump said yesterday that “we’ll end up getting it”.
Writing on X, the maritime monitoring group noted the Bella 1 has been “underway for over a month” 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 further stated the tanker is “likely heading south-east towards the South African coast”.
