Satellite Image Reveals First Venezuelan Oil Ship Seized by US is Currently Off Texas.
American personnel roped onto the deck of the Skipper on December 10th.
Orbital data and vessel monitoring data has verified that the oil tanker Skipper – the first vessel apprehended by the United States for allegedly transporting sanctioned oil from Venezuela – is currently off the coast of the state of Texas.
A satellite firm's satellite imagery from 21 December indicates the tanker is in the vicinity of Galveston, while Automatic Identification System ship-tracking feeds from MarineTraffic presently positions the Skipper about 50 miles from the coast.
The Skipper was taken into custody by US authorities on the tenth of December and has been sanctioned by multiple governments. When it was intercepted, it was incorrectly flying the flag of Guyana.
This seizure was followed by the capture of a another oil vessel, the Centuries. It – unlike the first vessel – was not under sanctions when it was brought under American control.
American agencies are now targeting a third ship, which has been identified by the risk management group Vanguard as the Bella 1. The US President said recently that “we’ll end up getting it”.
Writing on the social media platform X, the maritime monitoring group noted the Bella 1 has been “underway for over a month” and, at an average speed of 11 knots, may have “approximately a month of diesel left unless her velocity drops”.
The monitoring service further stated the vessel is “likely traveling in a southeasterly direction towards the South African coast”.
