Imagery Image Shows Initial Venezuela-Linked Tanker Confiscated by US is Now Near Texas.
American personnel boarding the deck of the tanker Skipper on December 10th.
Satellite imagery and ship tracking data has confirmed that the crude carrier named Skipper – the first vessel apprehended by the United States for allegedly carrying embargoed oil from the Venezuelan regime – 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 AIS ship-tracking feeds from MarineTraffic currently places the Skipper about 80km from the coast.
The Skipper was seized by American officials on 10 December and has been blacklisted by several governments. When it was seized, it was falsely flying the flag of the nation of Guyana.
This interception was followed by the interception of a another tanker, the Centuries. It – unlike the Skipper – was not under official restrictions when it was taken into US custody.
US authorities are now targeting a third such vessel, which has been named by the maritime risk group a risk firm as the Bella 1. President Donald Trump stated recently that “it will ultimately be secured”.
Writing on X, the TankerTrackers group noted the vessel Bella 1 has been “in transit for over a month” and, at an average speed of 11 knots, may have “another 28 to 35 days of fuel remaining unless her velocity decreases”.
The monitoring service added the tanker is “likely heading in a southeasterly direction towards South Africa”.
