Imagery Data Reveals Initial Venezuela-Linked Oil Ship Confiscated by American Authorities is Now Near Texas.
US agents roped onto the deck of the Skipper on 10 December.
Satellite imagery and vessel monitoring information has confirmed that the crude carrier named Skipper – the initial vessel seized by the United States for reportedly carrying embargoed crude from Venezuela – is now off the coast of Texas.
Vantor orbital photographs dated 21 December indicates the ship is in the vicinity of the port of Galveston, while AIS ship-tracking feeds from a maritime data service presently places the vessel about 80km offshore.
The tanker Skipper was seized by US authorities on the tenth of December and has been blacklisted by multiple nations. At the time it was intercepted, it was incorrectly flying the ensign of the nation of Guyana.
This seizure was succeeded by the interception of a another tanker, the Centuries. This ship – in contrast to the first vessel – was not under sanctions when it was taken into US custody.
US authorities are currently pursuing a third ship, which has been identified by the risk management group Vanguard as the Bella 1. President Donald Trump stated yesterday that “we’ll end up getting it”.
Writing on X, the maritime monitoring group said the Bella 1 has been “in transit for 39 days” and, at an average speed of 11 nautical miles per hour, may have “another 28 to 35 days of fuel left unless her velocity decreases”.
The group further stated the vessel is “likely traveling in a southeasterly direction towards the South African coast”.
