Imagery Data Shows First Venezuela-Linked Oil Ship Confiscated by American Authorities is Currently Near the Texas Coast.
US personnel roped onto the vessel of the tanker Skipper on 10 December.
Satellite imagery and vessel monitoring information has confirmed that the oil tanker Skipper – the initial vessel seized by the United States for allegedly transporting embargoed oil from Venezuela – is currently off the coast of Texas.
A satellite firm's satellite imagery from 21 December indicates the ship is in the vicinity of the port of Galveston, while AIS vessel-tracking feeds from MarineTraffic currently places the vessel about 50 miles from the coast.
The tanker Skipper was seized by US authorities on 10 December and has been blacklisted by multiple nations. At the time it was intercepted, it was falsely flying the flag of the nation of Guyana.
This seizure was succeeded by the interception of a second oil vessel, the Centuries tanker. This ship – unlike the first vessel – was not under official restrictions when it was brought under American control.
American agencies are currently targeting a third ship, which has been named by the risk management group Vanguard as the Bella 1. The US President stated recently that “it will ultimately be secured”.
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 diesel remaining unless her speed drops”.
The monitoring service further stated the tanker is “likely traveling south-east towards South Africa”.
