Imagery Image Reveals First Venezuelan Oil Ship Seized by American Authorities is Currently Off the Texas Coast.
American agents roped onto the deck of the Skipper on 10 December.
Orbital data and ship tracking information has confirmed that the crude carrier named Skipper – the initial vessel apprehended by the United States for reportedly transporting embargoed crude 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 ship is in the vicinity of the port of Galveston, while AIS ship-tracking feeds from a maritime data service currently positions the vessel about 50 miles from the coast.
The Skipper was taken into custody by American officials on the tenth of December and has been blacklisted by multiple governments. When it was seized, it was falsely flying the ensign of the nation of Guyana.
This interception was followed by the capture of a second tanker, the Centuries. This ship – unlike the Skipper – was not under official restrictions when it was taken into US custody.
US authorities are now pursuing a third such vessel, which has been named by the risk management group a risk firm as the Bella 1. President Donald Trump stated yesterday that “it will ultimately be secured”.
Writing on X, the TankerTrackers group noted the vessel Bella 1 has been “in transit for 39 days” and, at an typical pace of 11 nautical miles per hour, may have “approximately a month of diesel left unless her velocity decreases”.
The group further stated the vessel is “likely traveling in a southeasterly direction towards the South African coast”.
