Satellite Data Shows First Venezuelan Tanker Confiscated by American Authorities is Currently Near the Texas Coast.
American personnel roped onto the vessel of the Skipper on 10 December.
Orbital data and ship tracking data has verified that the oil tanker named Skipper – the first vessel apprehended by the US for reportedly carrying sanctioned oil from the Venezuelan regime – is currently positioned near of the state of Texas.
Vantor orbital photographs from 21 December shows the tanker is near the port of Galveston, while AIS vessel-tracking data from a maritime data service presently places the vessel about 50 miles from the coast.
The tanker Skipper was taken into custody by American officials on 10 December and has been blacklisted by several nations. When it was seized, it was incorrectly flying the ensign of the nation of Guyana.
This seizure was succeeded by the interception of a second tanker, the Centuries tanker. It – in contrast to the Skipper – was not under sanctions when it was taken into US custody.
American agencies are now pursuing a third such vessel, which has been identified by the risk management group Vanguard as the Bella 1. President Donald Trump stated yesterday that “it will ultimately be secured”.
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 average speed of 11 nautical miles per hour, may have “another 28 to 35 days of diesel remaining unless her velocity decreases”.
The group added the vessel is “likely heading in a southeasterly direction towards South Africa”.
