Imagery Image Reveals Initial Venezuela-Linked Oil Ship Seized by American Authorities is Currently Near the Texas Coast.
US personnel boarding the vessel of the tanker Skipper on December 10th.
Satellite imagery and ship tracking data has confirmed that the crude carrier Skipper – the first vessel apprehended by the US for allegedly transporting sanctioned crude from the Venezuelan regime – is currently off the coast of the state of Texas.
A satellite firm's orbital photographs from 21 December indicates the ship is near Galveston, while AIS ship-tracking data from MarineTraffic currently positions the vessel about 50 miles offshore.
The Skipper was seized by American officials on the tenth of December and has been blacklisted by multiple governments. At the time it was seized, it was falsely sailing under the ensign of Guyana.
This interception was followed by the capture of a second oil vessel, the Centuries. This ship – unlike the Skipper – was not under sanctions when it was taken into US custody.
US authorities are now pursuing a third vessel, which has been identified by the risk management group a risk firm as the Bella 1 tanker. President Donald Trump stated yesterday that “we’ll end up getting it”.
Writing on X, the maritime monitoring group said the vessel Bella 1 has been “in transit for over a month” and, at an typical pace of 11 nautical miles per hour, may have “approximately a month of fuel left unless her speed drops”.
The monitoring service added the vessel is “likely traveling in a southeasterly direction towards South Africa”.
