Satellite Data Shows Initial Venezuelan Tanker Seized by American Authorities is Now Off the Texas Coast.
American agents roped onto the vessel of the tanker Skipper on 10 December.
Orbital data and ship tracking data has verified that the crude carrier named Skipper – the first vessel seized by the US for allegedly transporting embargoed crude from the Venezuelan regime – is currently positioned near of the state of Texas.
A satellite firm's orbital photographs dated 21 December shows the ship is in the vicinity of Galveston, while AIS ship-tracking feeds from MarineTraffic presently places the vessel about 80km offshore.
The Skipper was seized by American officials on 10 December and has been sanctioned by multiple nations. When it was seized, it was incorrectly sailing under the ensign of the nation of Guyana.
This interception was followed by the interception of a another tanker, the Centuries. It – in contrast to the first vessel – was not under official restrictions when it was taken into American control.
US authorities are now targeting a third vessel, which has been identified by the risk management group Vanguard as the Bella 1. President Donald Trump said recently that “it will ultimately be secured”.
Writing on X, the TankerTrackers group said the Bella 1 has been “in transit for over a month” and, at an typical pace of 11 knots, may have “another 28 to 35 days of fuel remaining unless her speed drops”.
The group further stated the vessel is “probably traveling in a southeasterly direction towards South Africa”.
