Satellite Image Reveals Initial Venezuela-Linked Oil Ship Seized by US is Now Near Texas.
American agents roped onto the deck of the Skipper on December 10th.
Satellite imagery and ship tracking information has verified that the oil tanker Skipper – the initial vessel seized by the United States for allegedly carrying embargoed oil from the Venezuelan regime – is now off the coast of Texas.
A satellite firm's satellite imagery dated 21 December shows the ship is near the port of Galveston, while Automatic Identification System ship-tracking feeds from MarineTraffic currently positions the vessel about 50 miles from the coast.
The Skipper was seized by American officials on 10 December and has been blacklisted by multiple nations. At the time it was seized, it was falsely sailing under the ensign of Guyana.
This interception was followed by the capture of a another oil vessel, the Centuries tanker. It – in contrast to the first vessel – was not under sanctions when it was taken into American control.
American agencies are now targeting a third vessel, which has been identified by the maritime risk group Vanguard as the Bella 1. The US President said recently that “it will ultimately be secured”.
Writing on X, the maritime monitoring group said the vessel Bella 1 has been “underway for over a month” and, at an average speed of 11 knots, may have “another 28 to 35 days of fuel left unless her velocity decreases”.
The group added the vessel is “likely traveling in a southeasterly direction towards South Africa”.
