Imagery Image Reveals Initial Venezuelan Oil Ship Seized by US is Now Near the Texas Coast.
US agents boarding the vessel of the Skipper on December 10th.
Satellite imagery and vessel monitoring data has verified that the oil tanker 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 dated 21 December shows the tanker is in the vicinity of the port of Galveston, while AIS vessel-tracking feeds from a maritime data service presently positions the vessel about 80km offshore.
The Skipper was taken into custody by American officials on 10 December and has been blacklisted by multiple nations. When it was seized, it was incorrectly flying the flag of Guyana.
This seizure was followed by the capture of a another tanker, the Centuries. It – in contrast to the first vessel – was not yet under official restrictions when it was taken into US custody.
American agencies are currently targeting a third vessel, which has been identified by the risk management group Vanguard as the Bella 1 tanker. President Donald Trump stated recently that “we’ll end up getting it”.
Writing on X, the maritime monitoring group said the vessel Bella 1 has been “in transit for over a month” and, at an average speed of 11 knots, may have “approximately a month of fuel remaining unless her speed drops”.
The group added the vessel is “probably heading in a southeasterly direction towards South Africa”.
