Satellite Data Shows Initial Venezuelan Tanker Confiscated by American Authorities is Currently Near Texas.
American personnel boarding the deck of the tanker Skipper on December 10th.
Satellite imagery and vessel monitoring information has confirmed that the oil tanker Skipper – the initial vessel seized by the US for allegedly transporting embargoed crude from Venezuela – is currently positioned near of Texas.
A satellite firm's satellite imagery from 21 December indicates the tanker is near Galveston, while Automatic Identification System ship-tracking feeds from a maritime data service presently places the vessel about 80km offshore.
The Skipper was seized by US authorities on the tenth of December and has been blacklisted by several nations. When it was intercepted, it was incorrectly flying the ensign of the nation of Guyana.
This seizure was followed by the interception of a second tanker, the Centuries. It – in contrast to the Skipper – was not under sanctions when it was brought under US custody.
American agencies are now pursuing a third vessel, which has been identified by the maritime risk group a risk firm as the Bella 1 tanker. The US President stated yesterday 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 typical pace of 11 knots, may have “approximately a month of fuel remaining unless her velocity drops”.
The monitoring service added the vessel is “likely heading in a southeasterly direction towards South Africa”.
