Imagery Data Shows Initial Venezuela-Linked Oil Ship Seized by US is Now Off the Texas Coast.
American agents boarding the deck of the Skipper on 10 December.
Satellite imagery and ship tracking data has confirmed that the oil tanker Skipper – the initial vessel seized by the United States for reportedly transporting sanctioned crude from Venezuela – is now off the coast of Texas.
A satellite firm's orbital photographs from 21 December indicates the tanker is near the port of Galveston, while AIS ship-tracking feeds from MarineTraffic presently places the Skipper about 50 miles from the coast.
The tanker Skipper was taken into custody by American officials on 10 December and has been blacklisted by several governments. When it was intercepted, it was incorrectly flying the flag of Guyana.
This interception was followed by the interception of a another oil vessel, the Centuries. This ship – unlike the Skipper – was not yet under sanctions when it was brought under US custody.
American agencies are currently pursuing a third ship, which has been named by the maritime risk group Vanguard as the Bella 1. President Donald Trump said yesterday that “it will ultimately be secured”.
Writing on X, the maritime monitoring group said the Bella 1 has been “underway for over a month” and, at an average speed of 11 nautical miles per hour, may have “approximately a month of diesel left unless her speed drops”.
The group further stated the tanker is “probably traveling south-east towards South Africa”.
