Imagery Data Shows First Venezuela-Linked Oil Ship Confiscated by American Authorities is Now Off the Texas Coast.
American personnel roped onto the vessel of the Skipper on 10 December.
Satellite imagery and vessel monitoring information has verified that the crude carrier named Skipper – the initial vessel apprehended by the United States for allegedly carrying embargoed crude from Venezuela – is now off the coast of Texas.
Vantor orbital photographs from 21 December indicates the tanker is in the vicinity of the port of Galveston, while Automatic Identification System ship-tracking data from MarineTraffic currently places the vessel about 50 miles from the coast.
The Skipper was seized by US authorities on 10 December and has been sanctioned by several governments. At the time it was seized, it was incorrectly flying the ensign of the nation of Guyana.
This seizure was succeeded by the interception of a another oil vessel, the Centuries tanker. This ship – in contrast to the Skipper – was not under official restrictions when it was taken into US custody.
American agencies are currently pursuing a third such ship, which has been identified by the maritime risk group Vanguard as the Bella 1. President Donald Trump stated recently that “it will ultimately be secured”.
Writing on the social media platform X, the maritime monitoring group noted the Bella 1 has been “underway for over a month” and, at an average speed of 11 knots, may have “approximately a month of fuel remaining unless her velocity decreases”.
The group added the tanker is “probably traveling in a southeasterly direction towards South Africa”.
