Imagery Data Shows First Venezuelan Tanker Confiscated by US is Now Near Texas.
American agents boarding the vessel of the tanker Skipper on 10 December.
Orbital data and vessel monitoring information has verified that the crude carrier named Skipper – the first vessel seized by the US for allegedly transporting sanctioned oil from Venezuela – is currently positioned near of the state of Texas.
A satellite firm's satellite imagery from 21 December shows the tanker is in the vicinity of the port of Galveston, while Automatic Identification System vessel-tracking data from a maritime data service presently positions the vessel about 50 miles from the coast.
The Skipper was seized by American officials on the tenth of December and has been sanctioned by several nations. When it was seized, it was incorrectly sailing under the ensign of Guyana.
This interception was followed by the interception of a second tanker, the Centuries. This ship – unlike the Skipper – was not under official restrictions when it was brought under American control.
American agencies are now targeting a third such ship, which has been named by the maritime risk group a risk firm as the Bella 1. President Donald Trump said yesterday that “we’ll end up getting it”.
Writing on the social media platform X, the TankerTrackers group said the vessel Bella 1 has been “underway for over a month” and, at an typical pace of 11 nautical miles per hour, may have “another 28 to 35 days of diesel left unless her speed decreases”.
The group further stated the tanker is “likely heading south-east towards South Africa”.
