Satellite Image Reveals First Venezuela-Linked Tanker Seized by American Authorities is Now Off Texas.
American agents boarding the vessel of the Skipper on December 10th.
Satellite imagery and vessel monitoring data has verified that the crude carrier Skipper – the first vessel seized by the US for reportedly carrying embargoed crude from Venezuela – is currently off the coast of the state of Texas.
Vantor satellite imagery dated 21 December indicates the ship is near Galveston, while AIS vessel-tracking data from a maritime data service currently positions the vessel about 50 miles offshore.
The tanker Skipper was seized by US authorities on 10 December and has been blacklisted by multiple nations. At the time it was seized, it was falsely flying the flag of Guyana.
This seizure was followed by the capture of a second oil vessel, the Centuries tanker. It – in contrast to the first vessel – was not under sanctions when it was brought under US custody.
US authorities are currently pursuing a third such ship, which has been identified by the maritime risk group Vanguard as the Bella 1 tanker. President Donald Trump said yesterday that “we’ll end up getting it”.
Writing on X, the TankerTrackers group noted the vessel Bella 1 has been “underway for 39 days” and, at an average speed of 11 nautical miles per hour, may have “approximately a month of diesel remaining unless her speed decreases”.
The group further stated the tanker is “likely traveling south-east towards South Africa”.
