Satellite Data Shows Initial Venezuela-Linked Tanker Confiscated by US is Currently Near Texas.
US agents boarding the vessel of the Skipper on 10 December.
Orbital data and vessel monitoring information has confirmed that the crude carrier Skipper – the first vessel apprehended by the United States for reportedly transporting embargoed crude from the Venezuelan regime – is now positioned near of Texas.
A satellite firm's orbital photographs dated 21 December indicates the ship is in the vicinity of Galveston, while AIS ship-tracking feeds from a maritime data service currently places the vessel about 50 miles offshore.
The Skipper was taken into custody by US authorities on the tenth of December and has been sanctioned by several nations. At the time it was seized, it was falsely flying the flag of the nation of Guyana.
This interception was followed by the interception of a second tanker, the Centuries tanker. This ship – in contrast to the first vessel – was not yet under official restrictions when it was brought under US custody.
US authorities are currently targeting a third such ship, which has been identified by the risk management group Vanguard as the Bella 1. The US President said recently that “we’ll end up getting it”.
Writing on X, the TankerTrackers group said the vessel Bella 1 has been “in transit for over a month” and, at an average speed of 11 knots, may have “another 28 to 35 days of fuel remaining unless her velocity drops”.
The monitoring service further stated the tanker is “likely heading in a southeasterly direction towards the South African coast”.
