Satellite Image Reveals First Venezuela-Linked Tanker Seized by US is Now Near the Texas Coast.
American agents boarding the vessel of the Skipper on 10 December.
Orbital data and vessel monitoring information has verified that the crude carrier Skipper – the initial vessel seized by the United States for allegedly transporting sanctioned crude from the Venezuelan regime – is currently positioned near of Texas.
A satellite firm's orbital photographs from 21 December shows the tanker is in the vicinity of the port of Galveston, while AIS ship-tracking feeds from a maritime data service currently places the vessel about 80km from the coast.
The tanker Skipper was taken into custody by US authorities on 10 December and has been sanctioned by several governments. At the time it was seized, it was incorrectly sailing under the flag of Guyana.
This interception was succeeded by the capture of a second tanker, the Centuries tanker. It – unlike the first vessel – was not yet under sanctions when it was taken into American control.
American agencies are now targeting a third such vessel, which has been identified by the maritime risk group Vanguard as the Bella 1 tanker. The US President stated recently that “we’ll end up getting it”.
Writing on X, the TankerTrackers group noted the vessel Bella 1 has been “in transit for over a month” and, at an typical pace of 11 knots, may have “approximately a month of fuel left unless her speed decreases”.
The monitoring service further stated the vessel is “likely heading south-east towards the South African coast”.
