Satellite Data Reveals Initial Venezuela-Linked Tanker Seized by American Authorities is Now Near the Texas Coast.
American personnel roped onto the deck of the tanker Skipper on December 10th.
Orbital data and ship tracking data has verified that the oil tanker named Skipper – the first vessel apprehended by the United States for reportedly transporting embargoed oil from Venezuela – is currently positioned near of Texas.
Vantor satellite imagery dated 21 December shows the tanker is in the vicinity of the port of Galveston, while AIS vessel-tracking feeds from MarineTraffic currently places the Skipper about 50 miles offshore.
The Skipper was taken into custody by American officials on the tenth of December and has been sanctioned by multiple governments. At the time it was intercepted, it was incorrectly sailing under the ensign of Guyana.
This interception was succeeded by the interception of a another oil vessel, the Centuries tanker. It – unlike the first vessel – was not yet under official restrictions when it was brought under American control.
American agencies are currently pursuing a third such vessel, which has been named by the maritime risk group Vanguard as the Bella 1. President Donald Trump said yesterday that “we’ll end up getting it”.
Writing on X, the maritime monitoring group said the Bella 1 has been “in transit for 39 days” and, at an average speed of 11 nautical miles per hour, may have “another 28 to 35 days of diesel left unless her velocity drops”.
The monitoring service further stated the vessel is “likely traveling south-east towards the South African coast”.
