Imagery Data Reveals First Venezuelan Tanker Seized by American Authorities is Now Off the Texas Coast.
US personnel boarding the vessel of the Skipper on 10 December.
Orbital data and ship tracking data has verified that the crude carrier named Skipper – the initial vessel seized by the United States for reportedly transporting sanctioned crude from the Venezuelan regime – is currently positioned near of the state of Texas.
A satellite firm's orbital photographs dated 21 December indicates the ship is in the vicinity of Galveston, while AIS vessel-tracking feeds from a maritime data service presently positions the Skipper about 80km from the coast.
The tanker Skipper was taken into custody by American officials on 10 December and has been blacklisted by multiple governments. At the time it was seized, it was incorrectly flying the flag of the nation of Guyana.
This seizure was followed by the capture of a second tanker, the Centuries. It – unlike the Skipper – was not yet under official restrictions when it was taken into American control.
US authorities are currently targeting a third such ship, which has been named by the maritime risk group a risk firm as the Bella 1 tanker. President Donald Trump stated recently that “it will ultimately be secured”.
Writing on the social media platform X, the TankerTrackers group noted the vessel Bella 1 has been “in transit for 39 days” and, at an typical pace of 11 nautical miles per hour, may have “approximately a month of diesel remaining unless her speed decreases”.
The group further stated the vessel is “likely traveling in a southeasterly direction towards South Africa”.
