🔗 Share this article

Satellite imagery and vessel monitoring data has confirmed that the crude carrier Skipper – the first vessel apprehended by the US for allegedly transporting sanctioned oil from Venezuela – is currently off the coast of the state of Texas.

A satellite firm's orbital photographs dated 21 December shows the tanker is in the vicinity of the port of Galveston, while Automatic Identification System ship-tracking feeds from a maritime data service currently positions the Skipper about 50 miles from the coast.

The tanker Skipper was taken into custody by American officials on the tenth of December and has been blacklisted by multiple governments. At the time it was intercepted, it was incorrectly flying the ensign of Guyana.

This interception was succeeded by the interception of a second tanker, the Centuries tanker. This ship – in contrast to the first vessel – was not yet under sanctions when it was taken into American control.

American agencies are now pursuing a third ship, which has been identified by the maritime risk group a risk firm as the Bella 1. The US President said yesterday that “it will ultimately be secured”.

Writing on X, the TankerTrackers group noted the vessel Bella 1 has been “underway for over a month” and, at an average speed of 11 knots, may have “approximately a month of diesel remaining unless her velocity decreases”.

The monitoring service further stated the vessel is “probably traveling south-east towards South Africa”.