Satellite Image Shows Initial Venezuelan Oil Ship Seized by US is Now Off the Texas Coast.
American personnel roped onto the deck of the tanker Skipper on December 10th.
Satellite imagery and vessel monitoring data has confirmed that the crude carrier named Skipper – the first vessel seized by the United States for reportedly carrying embargoed crude from Venezuela – is currently positioned near of the state of Texas.
A satellite firm's orbital photographs from 21 December indicates the ship is near the port of Galveston, while Automatic Identification System vessel-tracking feeds from a maritime data service presently places the Skipper about 50 miles from the coast.
The Skipper was seized by American officials on 10 December and has been blacklisted by several nations. When it was intercepted, it was incorrectly sailing under the flag of Guyana.
This interception was followed by the interception of a another oil vessel, the Centuries tanker. This ship – unlike the first vessel – was not under official restrictions when it was taken into American control.
US authorities are now pursuing a third ship, which has been identified by the maritime risk group Vanguard as the Bella 1. President Donald Trump stated recently that “it will ultimately be secured”.
Writing on the social media platform X, the maritime monitoring group noted the vessel Bella 1 has been “underway for over a month” and, at an average speed of 11 nautical miles per hour, may have “approximately a month of diesel remaining unless her velocity decreases”.
The monitoring service further stated the vessel is “likely traveling south-east towards South Africa”.
