Analysis of satellite imagery and vessel tracking data indicates that the oil tanker seized by U.S. authorities off Venezuela on Wednesday may have deliberately manipulated its location signals, experts say, likely in an attempt to evade sanctions.
The tanker, identified as The Skipper, was sanctioned by the U.S. in 2022. Tracking data from analytics company Kpler suggested the vessel was operating near Guyana between November and December. However, over a dozen satellite images confirmed the tanker was actually off the coast of Barcelona, Venezuela, approximately 550 miles away during the same period.
Dimitris Ampatzidis, senior risk and compliance manager at Kpler, described the signals as “spoofed,” reflecting a “pattern of deliberate obfuscation” and pointing to a broader effort to circumvent sanctions. Satellite images from multiple providers showed the Skipper loading crude at Venezuela’s José Oil Terminal on November 14 and again on November 18. TankerTrackers.com, an organization monitoring global oil shipments, also captured the vessel at the terminal during this period.
From October 30 to December 4, the Skipper was consistently seen off Barcelona while its transponder signals suggested otherwise. Analysts noted that in mid-November the vessel covertly loaded 1.1 million barrels of heavy sour Merey crude with its transponder switched off, a tactic sometimes referred to as “dark activity.”
Historical tracking shows the Skipper previously operated off Iran and China, moving 1.87 million barrels from Iran to China in February and 1.95 million barrels in July. The tanker was also observed off Madagascar in October before crossing the Atlantic and appearing north of Trinidad, eventually approaching Venezuela at the end of October.
MarineTraffic data lists Triton Navigation Corporation as the vessel’s registered owner, with Thomarose Global Ventures as the beneficial owner. The Skipper, previously known as Adisa, and Triton Navigation were sanctioned in 2022 for alleged ties to Hezbollah and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force.
