Imagery Image Reveals Initial Venezuela-Linked Tanker Seized by American Authorities is Now Off the Texas Coast.
American agents roped onto the vessel of the tanker Skipper on December 10th.
Satellite imagery and ship tracking data has verified that the crude carrier Skipper – the initial vessel apprehended by the US for allegedly transporting embargoed crude from Venezuela – is now off the coast of the state of Texas.
Vantor satellite imagery from 21 December indicates the tanker is in the vicinity of the port of Galveston, while Automatic Identification System vessel-tracking feeds from MarineTraffic currently places the vessel about 80km offshore.
The Skipper was seized by US authorities on the tenth of December and has been sanctioned by multiple governments. At the time it was intercepted, it was falsely sailing under the flag of the nation of Guyana.
This seizure was succeeded by the interception of a second tanker, the Centuries. It – unlike the Skipper – was not yet under sanctions when it was brought under American control.
US authorities are now pursuing a third such vessel, which has been named by the maritime risk group a risk firm as the Bella 1 tanker. President Donald Trump said recently that “we’ll end up getting it”.
Writing on the social media platform X, the TankerTrackers group noted the Bella 1 has been “underway for over a month” and, at an typical pace of 11 knots, may have “another 28 to 35 days of diesel left unless her speed decreases”.
The group added the vessel is “likely traveling south-east towards the South African coast”.
