Imagery Image Reveals Initial Venezuelan Tanker Seized by US is Currently Near Texas.
US agents boarding the deck of the Skipper on December 10th.
Satellite imagery and vessel monitoring data has confirmed that the oil tanker named Skipper – the initial vessel seized by the United States for reportedly carrying sanctioned oil from Venezuela – is currently off the coast of the state of Texas.
Vantor satellite imagery dated 21 December shows the ship is near the port of Galveston, while AIS ship-tracking feeds from MarineTraffic currently positions the Skipper about 80km from the coast.
The Skipper was taken into custody by American officials on 10 December and has been sanctioned by several nations. At the time it was seized, it was incorrectly flying the ensign of the nation of Guyana.
This seizure was succeeded by the capture of a second tanker, the Centuries. It – unlike the first vessel – was not under official restrictions when it was brought under US custody.
US authorities are now pursuing a third such vessel, which has been named by the maritime risk group Vanguard as the Bella 1. President Donald Trump stated yesterday that “it will ultimately be secured”.
Writing on the social media platform X, the TankerTrackers group noted the Bella 1 has been “underway for 39 days” and, at an average speed of 11 knots, may have “approximately a month of fuel remaining unless her speed drops”.
The group added the tanker is “probably traveling in a southeasterly direction towards the South African coast”.
