Satellite Image Reveals Initial Venezuelan Tanker Confiscated by American Authorities is Currently Off Texas.
American personnel roped onto the deck of the Skipper on 10 December.
Orbital data and ship tracking data has confirmed that the oil tanker named Skipper – the initial vessel apprehended by the United States for reportedly carrying embargoed oil from the Venezuelan regime – is now off the coast of the state of Texas.
A satellite firm's orbital photographs from 21 December shows the tanker is in the vicinity of Galveston, while Automatic Identification System ship-tracking data from a maritime data service presently places the vessel about 80km offshore.
The tanker Skipper was taken into custody by American officials on 10 December and has been sanctioned by several nations. When it was seized, it was falsely flying the ensign of Guyana.
This interception was succeeded by the capture of a second oil vessel, the Centuries tanker. It – unlike the Skipper – was not yet under official restrictions when it was brought under American control.
US authorities are now pursuing a third vessel, which has been identified by the maritime risk group Vanguard as the Bella 1 tanker. President Donald Trump said recently that “we’ll end up getting it”.
Writing on the social media platform X, the TankerTrackers group noted the vessel Bella 1 has been “underway for over a month” and, at an typical pace of 11 knots, may have “approximately a month of fuel remaining unless her speed decreases”.
The group further stated the vessel is “probably traveling south-east towards South Africa”.
