Imagery Image Reveals Initial Venezuelan Tanker Seized by American Authorities is Currently Near Texas.
US agents roped onto the deck of the Skipper on December 10th.
Orbital data and vessel monitoring data has confirmed that the crude carrier Skipper – the first vessel apprehended by the United States for reportedly carrying embargoed oil from the Venezuelan regime – is currently positioned near of Texas.
Vantor orbital photographs dated 21 December shows the tanker is in the vicinity of the port of Galveston, while AIS vessel-tracking feeds from a maritime data service currently positions the vessel about 80km offshore.
The tanker Skipper was seized by US authorities on 10 December and has been sanctioned by several nations. At the time it was seized, it was falsely flying the flag of Guyana.
This seizure was followed by the interception of a second tanker, the Centuries tanker. This ship – unlike the Skipper – was not under official restrictions when it was brought under 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. The US President said recently that “we’ll end up getting it”.
Writing on the social media platform X, the TankerTrackers group noted the Bella 1 has been “in transit for 39 days” and, at an typical pace of 11 knots, may have “approximately a month of diesel left unless her speed decreases”.
The group added the tanker is “probably traveling in a southeasterly direction towards the South African coast”.
