Satellite Image Shows First Venezuela-Linked Tanker Seized by US is Now Near Texas.
American agents roped onto the deck of the tanker Skipper on December 10th.
Satellite imagery and ship tracking data has verified that the crude carrier named Skipper – the initial vessel apprehended by the United States for reportedly transporting sanctioned oil from Venezuela – is currently positioned near of Texas.
A satellite firm's orbital photographs from 21 December shows the tanker is near the port of Galveston, while Automatic Identification System ship-tracking data from a maritime data service presently places the Skipper about 50 miles from the coast.
The Skipper was taken into custody 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 flag of the nation of Guyana.
This interception was followed by the capture of a another oil vessel, the Centuries tanker. It – in contrast to the Skipper – was not under official restrictions when it was taken into US custody.
US authorities are now pursuing a third such vessel, which has been named by the risk management group a risk firm as the Bella 1 tanker. The US President stated recently that “it will ultimately be secured”.
Writing on X, the TankerTrackers group noted the vessel Bella 1 has been “in transit for 39 days” and, at an average speed of 11 nautical miles per hour, may have “another 28 to 35 days of diesel remaining unless her speed drops”.
The monitoring service added the vessel is “probably traveling in a southeasterly direction towards the South African coast”.
