Imagery Image Reveals First Venezuela-Linked Tanker Seized by American Authorities is Now Off Texas.
American agents boarding the deck of the Skipper on December 10th.
Satellite imagery and vessel monitoring information has verified that the oil tanker Skipper – the first vessel seized by the US for reportedly transporting embargoed oil from the Venezuelan regime – is currently off the coast of the state of Texas.
A satellite firm's satellite imagery dated 21 December indicates the tanker is in the vicinity of the port of Galveston, while AIS ship-tracking feeds from MarineTraffic currently positions the vessel about 80km offshore.
The tanker Skipper was taken into custody by American officials on the tenth of December and has been blacklisted by multiple nations. At the time it was seized, it was falsely flying the ensign of Guyana.
This seizure was succeeded by the interception of a second oil vessel, the Centuries tanker. It – unlike the first vessel – was not under sanctions when it was taken into US custody.
US authorities are currently targeting a third vessel, which has been identified by the maritime risk group a risk firm as the Bella 1. The US President stated yesterday that “it will ultimately be secured”.
Writing on the social media platform X, the maritime monitoring group said the Bella 1 has been “in transit for 39 days” and, at an typical pace of 11 knots, may have “approximately a month of diesel left unless her speed decreases”.
The monitoring service added the tanker is “likely heading in a southeasterly direction towards South Africa”.
