Satellite Data Reveals Initial Venezuelan Oil Ship Confiscated by American Authorities is Now Near Texas.
American personnel roped onto the deck of the Skipper on 10 December.
Orbital data and vessel monitoring data has verified that the crude carrier Skipper – the first vessel apprehended by the United States for allegedly transporting embargoed crude from the Venezuelan regime – is currently off the coast of Texas.
Vantor orbital photographs dated 21 December shows the tanker is near Galveston, while AIS vessel-tracking data from a maritime data service presently places the Skipper about 50 miles offshore.
The tanker Skipper was seized by American officials on the tenth of December and has been blacklisted by multiple nations. At the time it was intercepted, it was falsely flying the ensign of Guyana.
This seizure was followed by the interception of a second tanker, the Centuries. It – unlike the Skipper – was not yet under sanctions when it was brought under American control.
American agencies are currently targeting a third ship, which has been identified by the maritime risk group Vanguard as the Bella 1. The US President stated yesterday that “we’ll end up getting it”.
Writing on the social media platform X, the maritime monitoring group said the vessel Bella 1 has been “underway for 39 days” and, at an average speed of 11 knots, may have “another 28 to 35 days of diesel left unless her speed drops”.
The monitoring service further stated the vessel is “likely heading in a southeasterly direction towards South Africa”.
