Imagery Image Shows First Venezuelan Oil Ship Confiscated by US is Now Near Texas.
American agents boarding the vessel of the tanker Skipper on December 10th.
Satellite imagery and vessel monitoring data has confirmed that the oil tanker named Skipper – the initial vessel apprehended by the United States for allegedly carrying embargoed oil from the Venezuelan regime – is currently positioned near of the state of Texas.
A satellite firm's orbital photographs dated 21 December shows the tanker is in the vicinity of Galveston, while AIS vessel-tracking feeds from MarineTraffic presently positions the vessel about 50 miles from the coast.
The tanker Skipper was seized by US authorities on 10 December and has been sanctioned by several governments. When it was intercepted, it was falsely sailing under the flag of Guyana.
This seizure was followed by the interception of a second tanker, the Centuries. It – unlike the Skipper – was not yet 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 a risk firm as the Bella 1 tanker. President Donald Trump stated yesterday that “we’ll end up getting it”.
Writing on X, the maritime monitoring group noted the Bella 1 has been “in transit for 39 days” and, at an typical pace of 11 knots, may have “approximately a month of fuel remaining unless her speed drops”.
The group added the tanker is “probably traveling south-east towards the South African coast”.
