Imagery Data Reveals First Venezuelan Tanker Seized by American Authorities is Now Near Texas.
American agents boarding the vessel of the Skipper on 10 December.
Satellite imagery and ship tracking information has confirmed that the oil tanker named Skipper – the initial vessel apprehended by the US for reportedly carrying sanctioned oil from Venezuela – is currently positioned near of Texas.
Vantor orbital photographs dated 21 December indicates the ship is in the vicinity of the port of Galveston, while AIS vessel-tracking feeds from a maritime data service presently places the Skipper about 80km offshore.
The Skipper was taken into custody by US authorities on 10 December and has been blacklisted by several nations. At the time it was intercepted, it was falsely flying the ensign of Guyana.
This seizure was followed by the capture of a another tanker, the Centuries. It – unlike the first vessel – was not yet under official restrictions when it was brought under American control.
US authorities are now targeting a third such vessel, which has been named by the risk management group Vanguard as the Bella 1 tanker. President Donald Trump stated recently that “we’ll end up getting it”.
Writing on X, the TankerTrackers group said the vessel Bella 1 has been “in transit for over a month” and, at an average speed of 11 knots, may have “another 28 to 35 days of fuel remaining unless her velocity drops”.
The group added the tanker is “likely traveling south-east towards the South African coast”.
