Imagery Image Shows First Venezuela-Linked Tanker Seized by American Authorities is Currently Near Texas.
American personnel boarding the deck of the tanker Skipper on 10 December.
Orbital data and vessel monitoring information has verified that the crude carrier Skipper – the first vessel apprehended by the United States for allegedly transporting sanctioned oil from Venezuela – is currently off the coast of Texas.
Vantor orbital photographs from 21 December indicates the tanker is in the vicinity of the port of Galveston, while Automatic Identification System ship-tracking feeds from MarineTraffic presently places the Skipper about 50 miles offshore.
The tanker Skipper was taken into custody by US authorities on 10 December and has been sanctioned by multiple governments. At the time it was intercepted, it was incorrectly sailing under the flag of the nation of Guyana.
This seizure was followed by the interception of a another oil vessel, the Centuries tanker. It – unlike the first vessel – was not under official restrictions when it was brought under American control.
US authorities are now pursuing a third such vessel, which has been identified by the risk management group Vanguard as the Bella 1. The US President stated recently that “it will ultimately be secured”.
Writing on the social media platform X, the TankerTrackers group noted the vessel 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 monitoring service further stated the vessel is “likely traveling in a southeasterly direction towards the South African coast”.
