Satellite Image Shows First Venezuela-Linked Oil Ship Seized by US is Now Near Texas.
American agents roped onto the deck of the Skipper on 10 December.
Orbital data and ship tracking information has confirmed that the oil tanker named Skipper – the initial vessel seized by the US for reportedly carrying embargoed crude from Venezuela – is now off the coast of Texas.
Vantor orbital photographs dated 21 December shows the tanker is near Galveston, while AIS vessel-tracking data from a maritime data service presently positions the vessel about 80km from the coast.
The 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 flying the ensign of the nation of Guyana.
This interception was succeeded by the capture of a second oil vessel, the Centuries tanker. It – in contrast to the first vessel – was not under official restrictions when it was taken into American control.
US authorities are now targeting a third such vessel, which has been identified by the maritime risk group Vanguard as the Bella 1 tanker. The US President stated recently that “it will ultimately be secured”.
Writing on the social media platform X, the TankerTrackers group noted the Bella 1 has been “in transit for over a month” and, at an typical pace of 11 nautical miles per hour, may have “approximately a month of fuel remaining unless her speed decreases”.
The group added the vessel is “probably heading in a southeasterly direction towards the South African coast”.