Imagery Image Shows Initial Venezuelan Tanker Confiscated by American Authorities is Now Off Texas.
US agents roped onto the vessel of the Skipper on 10 December.
Orbital data and vessel monitoring data has confirmed that the crude carrier named Skipper – the initial vessel apprehended by the US for reportedly transporting sanctioned oil from the Venezuelan regime – is now positioned near of the state of Texas.
A satellite firm's satellite imagery from 21 December shows the ship is near the port of Galveston, while AIS ship-tracking feeds from MarineTraffic presently places the Skipper about 50 miles offshore.
The tanker Skipper was taken into custody by US authorities on 10 December and has been blacklisted by several governments. When it was seized, it was incorrectly flying the ensign of the nation of Guyana.
This seizure was succeeded by the capture of a second oil vessel, the Centuries. This ship – in contrast to the first vessel – was not under official restrictions when it was brought under American control.
US authorities are now pursuing a third ship, which has been identified by the risk management group Vanguard as the Bella 1 tanker. The US President stated yesterday that “we’ll end up getting it”.
Writing on the social media platform X, the TankerTrackers group said the Bella 1 has been “in transit for over a month” and, at an typical pace of 11 knots, may have “approximately a month of fuel left unless her velocity decreases”.
The group added the tanker is “likely traveling south-east towards South Africa”.
