Imagery Image Reveals First Venezuelan Oil Ship Seized by American Authorities is Now Off Texas.
US agents boarding the vessel of the tanker Skipper on 10 December.
Satellite imagery and vessel monitoring information has verified that the crude carrier named Skipper – the first vessel apprehended by the United States for reportedly transporting sanctioned crude from Venezuela – is currently positioned near of the state of Texas.
A satellite firm's satellite imagery dated 21 December shows the tanker is near the port of Galveston, while Automatic Identification System ship-tracking feeds from MarineTraffic presently positions the Skipper about 50 miles offshore.
The Skipper was seized by American officials on 10 December and has been blacklisted by multiple nations. At the time it was intercepted, it was falsely sailing under the ensign of Guyana.
This seizure was followed by the capture of a second oil vessel, the Centuries tanker. This ship – in contrast to the Skipper – was not yet under sanctions when it was brought under US custody.
American agencies are now pursuing a third ship, which has been named by the risk management group a risk firm as the Bella 1 tanker. President Donald Trump said yesterday that “we’ll end up getting it”.
Writing on the social media platform X, the maritime monitoring group noted the Bella 1 has been “underway for 39 days” and, at an average speed of 11 nautical miles per hour, may have “approximately a month of fuel remaining unless her speed decreases”.
The monitoring service added the tanker is “probably traveling south-east towards South Africa”.
