Satellite Data Reveals First Venezuela-Linked Tanker Seized by US is Currently Off Texas.
American agents roped onto the vessel of the Skipper on 10 December.
Orbital data and ship tracking information has verified that the crude carrier named Skipper – the initial vessel seized by the United States for allegedly carrying embargoed crude from Venezuela – is currently positioned near of Texas.
A satellite firm's orbital photographs dated 21 December shows the tanker is near the port of Galveston, while Automatic Identification System vessel-tracking data from a maritime data service currently positions the Skipper about 80km from the coast.
The Skipper was seized by US authorities on the tenth of December and has been blacklisted by several governments. When it was intercepted, it was incorrectly sailing under the ensign of the nation of Guyana.
This interception was succeeded by the interception of a another tanker, the Centuries tanker. This ship – unlike the first vessel – was not under official restrictions when it was brought under American control.
US authorities are currently pursuing a third such vessel, which has been named by the maritime risk group a risk firm as the Bella 1. President Donald Trump stated yesterday that “it will ultimately be secured”.
Writing on the social media platform X, the maritime monitoring group said the Bella 1 has been “underway for 39 days” and, at an average speed of 11 knots, may have “another 28 to 35 days of fuel left unless her velocity decreases”.
The group added the tanker is “probably heading in a southeasterly direction towards the South African coast”.
