Satellite Image Reveals First Venezuela-Linked Oil Ship Seized by US is Now Near Texas.
US personnel roped onto the vessel of the Skipper on December 10th.
Satellite imagery and vessel monitoring information has verified that the oil tanker Skipper – the first vessel seized by the US for allegedly carrying embargoed crude from the Venezuelan regime – is currently positioned near of the state of Texas.
A satellite firm's satellite imagery from 21 December indicates the tanker is near the port of Galveston, while AIS ship-tracking feeds from a maritime data service currently places the Skipper about 80km offshore.
The tanker Skipper was seized by American officials on 10 December and has been blacklisted by several nations. At the time it was seized, it was falsely flying the flag of Guyana.
This seizure was followed by the capture of a second oil vessel, the Centuries tanker. It – in contrast to the first vessel – was not yet under official restrictions when it was brought under US custody.
American agencies are currently pursuing a third ship, which has been named by the maritime risk group Vanguard as the Bella 1 tanker. The US President said yesterday that “we’ll end up getting it”.
Writing on X, the maritime monitoring group said the Bella 1 has been “underway for 39 days” and, at an average speed of 11 knots, may have “another 28 to 35 days of diesel left unless her velocity drops”.
The monitoring service further stated the vessel is “likely traveling south-east towards South Africa”.
