US agents boarding the deck of the Skipper on December 10th.
Satellite imagery and ship tracking information has confirmed that the oil tanker named Skipper – the initial vessel seized by the United States for allegedly transporting sanctioned crude from Venezuela – is currently off the coast of the state of Texas.
Vantor orbital photographs dated 21 December shows the tanker is near Galveston, while Automatic Identification System ship-tracking feeds from MarineTraffic presently positions the vessel about 80km offshore.
The Skipper was taken into custody by US authorities on the tenth of December and has been sanctioned by multiple nations. At the time it was intercepted, it was falsely flying the flag of Guyana.
This interception was followed by the interception of a second oil vessel, the Centuries. It – unlike the first vessel – was not yet under sanctions 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. President Donald Trump stated recently that “it will ultimately be secured”.
Writing on the social media platform X, the TankerTrackers group said the Bella 1 has been “underway for over a month” and, at an average speed of 11 knots, may have “another 28 to 35 days of diesel left unless her speed decreases”.
The group added the tanker is “probably traveling south-east towards South Africa”.
Elara is a seasoned gaming journalist with a passion for slot mechanics and player strategies.
