Satellite Image Shows Initial Venezuelan Tanker Seized by American Authorities is Now Off the Texas Coast.
US personnel roped onto the vessel of the tanker Skipper on December 10th.
Satellite imagery and vessel monitoring information has verified that the crude carrier Skipper – the initial vessel apprehended by the United States for reportedly carrying sanctioned crude from the Venezuelan regime – is currently off the coast of Texas.
A satellite firm's orbital photographs from 21 December indicates the tanker is near the port of Galveston, while AIS ship-tracking feeds from MarineTraffic currently positions the vessel about 80km from the coast.
The Skipper was taken into custody by US authorities on 10 December and has been blacklisted by several governments. When it was seized, it was incorrectly flying the ensign of Guyana.
This interception was succeeded by the interception of a another tanker, the Centuries tanker. This ship – in contrast to the first vessel – was not under official restrictions when it was taken into US custody.
US authorities are currently pursuing a third such vessel, which has been named by the maritime risk group a risk firm as the Bella 1. The US President said yesterday that “it will ultimately be secured”.
Writing on the social media platform X, the maritime monitoring group noted the vessel Bella 1 has been “in transit for over a month” and, at an average speed of 11 nautical miles per hour, may have “approximately a month of fuel left unless her velocity decreases”.
The monitoring service further stated the tanker is “likely traveling south-east towards South Africa”.
