Imagery Image Reveals Initial Venezuelan Tanker Confiscated by American Authorities is Currently Off Texas.
US personnel boarding the vessel of the Skipper on 10 December.
Satellite imagery and ship tracking information has confirmed that the oil tanker named Skipper – the initial vessel seized by the United States for reportedly transporting embargoed oil from the Venezuelan regime – is currently positioned near of the state of Texas.
A satellite firm's orbital photographs dated 21 December indicates the tanker is in the vicinity of Galveston, while AIS vessel-tracking data from MarineTraffic currently positions the Skipper about 80km offshore.
The Skipper was taken into custody by US authorities on 10 December and has been blacklisted by multiple nations. At the time it was intercepted, it was incorrectly sailing under the flag of Guyana.
This seizure was succeeded by the capture of a second tanker, the Centuries. It – in contrast to the Skipper – was not under official restrictions when it was brought under US custody.
American agencies are currently pursuing a third vessel, which has been identified by the maritime risk group Vanguard as the Bella 1. President Donald Trump stated recently that “it will ultimately be secured”.
Writing on X, the TankerTrackers group noted the vessel Bella 1 has been “underway for 39 days” and, at an typical pace of 11 knots, may have “approximately a month of diesel remaining unless her speed decreases”.
The group added the tanker is “probably traveling in a southeasterly direction towards South Africa”.
