Imagery Image Reveals First Venezuela-Linked Oil Ship Confiscated by American Authorities is Now Off the Texas Coast.
US personnel roped onto the deck of the Skipper on 10 December.
Orbital data and ship tracking information has confirmed that the oil tanker Skipper – the first vessel seized by the United States for reportedly transporting sanctioned crude from the Venezuelan regime – is currently positioned near of the state of Texas.
Vantor orbital photographs dated 21 December indicates the ship is near the port of Galveston, while AIS ship-tracking data from a maritime data service currently positions the vessel about 80km from the coast.
The tanker Skipper was taken into custody by American officials on 10 December and has been blacklisted by multiple governments. At the time it was intercepted, it was falsely sailing under the ensign of Guyana.
This interception was followed by the capture of a second oil vessel, the Centuries tanker. It – unlike the first vessel – was not yet under sanctions when it was taken into US custody.
US authorities are currently targeting a third vessel, which has been identified by the maritime risk group a risk firm as the Bella 1 tanker. President Donald Trump said 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 over a month” and, at an typical pace of 11 knots, may have “another 28 to 35 days of fuel left unless her speed decreases”.
The monitoring service added the tanker is “probably traveling south-east towards the South African coast”.
