Satellite Image Shows First Venezuelan Oil Ship Confiscated by US is Currently Near the Texas Coast.
US agents boarding the vessel of the Skipper on December 10th.
Satellite imagery and ship tracking data has confirmed that the crude carrier named Skipper – the first vessel seized by the United States for reportedly transporting sanctioned oil from Venezuela – is now positioned near of the state of Texas.
Vantor satellite imagery from 21 December indicates the tanker is near Galveston, while Automatic Identification System ship-tracking feeds from a maritime data service currently places the vessel about 50 miles from the coast.
The tanker Skipper was taken into custody by American officials on 10 December and has been blacklisted by several governments. At the time it was intercepted, it was incorrectly sailing under the ensign of the nation of Guyana.
This interception was succeeded by the interception of a another tanker, the Centuries. This ship – unlike the first vessel – was not under sanctions when it was brought under US custody.
US authorities are currently targeting a third ship, which has been named by the maritime risk group a risk firm as the Bella 1. The US President said yesterday that “it will ultimately be secured”.
Writing on X, the maritime monitoring group said the vessel Bella 1 has been “underway for over a month” and, at an average speed of 11 nautical miles per hour, may have “another 28 to 35 days of fuel left unless her speed drops”.
The group added the tanker is “probably heading south-east towards the South African coast”.
