Imagery Image Reveals Initial Venezuelan Oil Ship Seized by US is Now Off Texas.
US agents roped onto the vessel of the Skipper on 10 December.
Orbital data and ship tracking information has verified that the oil tanker named Skipper – the initial vessel seized by the United States for reportedly carrying sanctioned oil from the Venezuelan regime – is now off the coast of the state of Texas.
Vantor satellite imagery dated 21 December shows the tanker is in the vicinity of Galveston, while AIS vessel-tracking data from a maritime data service currently positions the Skipper about 50 miles from the coast.
The Skipper was seized by American officials on 10 December and has been sanctioned by several nations. At the time it was seized, it was falsely flying the ensign of the nation of Guyana.
This interception was succeeded by the capture of a second oil vessel, the Centuries tanker. It – in contrast to the Skipper – was not under sanctions when it was brought under American control.
American agencies are now pursuing a third vessel, which has been identified by the risk management group a risk firm as the Bella 1 tanker. President Donald Trump stated yesterday that “we’ll end up getting it”.
Writing on X, the TankerTrackers group said the vessel Bella 1 has been “in transit for over a month” and, at an typical pace of 11 nautical miles per hour, may have “another 28 to 35 days of diesel remaining unless her speed drops”.
The monitoring service further stated the vessel is “likely traveling south-east towards South Africa”.
