Satellite Data Shows Initial Venezuelan Tanker Seized by American Authorities is Now Off the Texas Coast.
American agents roped onto the deck of the Skipper on December 10th.
Satellite imagery and vessel monitoring data has confirmed that the crude carrier named Skipper – the first vessel seized by the US for reportedly transporting embargoed oil from the Venezuelan regime – is currently off the coast of the state of Texas.
A satellite firm's orbital photographs from 21 December indicates the tanker is in the vicinity of Galveston, while Automatic Identification System vessel-tracking feeds from a maritime data service presently places the vessel about 80km from the coast.
The tanker Skipper was taken into custody by US authorities on the tenth of December and has been sanctioned by several nations. When it was intercepted, it was falsely sailing under the flag of the nation of Guyana.
This interception was succeeded by the interception of a second oil vessel, the Centuries. This ship – in contrast to the first vessel – was not under sanctions when it was brought under American control.
American agencies are currently targeting a third such vessel, which has been named by the risk management group a risk firm as the Bella 1 tanker. The US President stated 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 “in transit for 39 days” and, at an average speed of 11 nautical miles per hour, may have “another 28 to 35 days of fuel remaining unless her velocity decreases”.
The group added the tanker is “probably traveling in a southeasterly direction towards the South African coast”.
