Imagery Image Reveals Initial Venezuela-Linked Tanker Seized by American Authorities is Currently Off the Texas Coast.
US personnel boarding the vessel of the tanker Skipper on December 10th.
Orbital data and vessel monitoring data has verified that the oil tanker named Skipper – the initial vessel seized by the United States for allegedly transporting sanctioned oil from the Venezuelan regime – is now off the coast of the state of Texas.
Vantor orbital photographs from 21 December shows the ship is in the vicinity of Galveston, while AIS vessel-tracking feeds from a maritime data service currently places the vessel about 50 miles offshore.
The tanker Skipper was seized by American officials on 10 December and has been blacklisted by several nations. At the time it was intercepted, it was incorrectly flying the ensign of Guyana.
This seizure was followed by the interception of a another tanker, the Centuries tanker. It – in contrast to the first vessel – was not yet under official restrictions when it was brought under American control.
US authorities are now pursuing a third such vessel, which has been named by the risk management group Vanguard as the Bella 1 tanker. The US President said yesterday that “it will ultimately be secured”.
Writing on X, the maritime monitoring group noted the Bella 1 has been “underway for over a month” and, at an average speed of 11 knots, may have “another 28 to 35 days of fuel remaining unless her speed decreases”.
The monitoring service further stated the vessel is “likely traveling in a southeasterly direction towards the South African coast”.
