Satellite Image Shows First Venezuelan Oil Ship Seized by American Authorities is Currently Near Texas.
American agents roped onto the deck of the Skipper on December 10th.
Satellite imagery and vessel monitoring information has verified that the oil tanker named Skipper – the first vessel seized by the US for reportedly carrying embargoed crude from the Venezuelan regime – is now positioned near of Texas.
A satellite firm's orbital photographs from 21 December indicates the ship is near the port of Galveston, while Automatic Identification System vessel-tracking feeds from a maritime data service presently positions the Skipper about 50 miles offshore.
The tanker Skipper was seized by American officials on the tenth of December and has been sanctioned by several nations. When it was seized, it was incorrectly sailing under the ensign of the nation of Guyana.
This interception was followed by the capture of a another oil vessel, the Centuries. This ship – in contrast to the Skipper – was not yet under official restrictions when it was brought under US custody.
American agencies are currently pursuing a third vessel, which has been identified by the maritime risk group Vanguard as the Bella 1 tanker. The US President said yesterday that “it will ultimately be secured”.
Writing on X, the maritime monitoring group said the Bella 1 has been “in transit for over a month” and, at an average speed of 11 nautical miles per hour, may have “another 28 to 35 days of fuel left unless her speed drops”.
The monitoring service further stated the vessel is “probably heading in a southeasterly direction towards the South African coast”.
