Imagery Image Reveals Initial Venezuelan Tanker Seized by American Authorities is Currently Off Texas.
US personnel roped onto the vessel of the tanker Skipper on December 10th.
Orbital data and ship tracking information has verified that the oil tanker Skipper – the first vessel apprehended by the United States for reportedly transporting embargoed crude from Venezuela – is currently positioned near of the state of Texas.
Vantor satellite imagery from 21 December indicates the tanker is near Galveston, while Automatic Identification System ship-tracking data from a maritime data service currently positions the vessel about 50 miles offshore.
The tanker Skipper was seized by US authorities on the tenth of December and has been sanctioned by several nations. When it was intercepted, it was incorrectly sailing under the ensign of Guyana.
This interception was followed by the interception of a another oil vessel, the Centuries tanker. It – in contrast to the first vessel – was not yet under official restrictions when it was brought under American control.
American agencies are now targeting a third vessel, which has been identified by the maritime risk group a risk firm as the Bella 1 tanker. The US President said recently that “it will ultimately be secured”.
Writing on X, the maritime monitoring group noted the vessel Bella 1 has been “underway for 39 days” and, at an typical pace of 11 knots, may have “another 28 to 35 days of diesel remaining unless her velocity decreases”.
The monitoring service added the tanker is “probably heading south-east towards the South African coast”.
