Satellite Image Reveals Initial Venezuelan Tanker Confiscated by American Authorities is Now Near the Texas Coast.

Orbital data and ship tracking data has verified that the crude carrier Skipper – the initial vessel seized by the US for reportedly transporting embargoed crude from the Venezuelan regime – is currently positioned near of Texas.

A satellite firm's satellite imagery dated 21 December indicates the ship is near the port of Galveston, while Automatic Identification System ship-tracking feeds from a maritime data service currently places the vessel about 50 miles offshore.

The tanker Skipper was taken into custody by US authorities on the tenth of December and has been blacklisted by multiple governments. At the time it was seized, it was falsely flying the flag of the nation of Guyana.

This seizure was succeeded by the capture of a another oil vessel, the Centuries tanker. It – in contrast to the first vessel – was not yet under sanctions when it was brought under American control.

American agencies are currently pursuing a third such ship, which has been identified by the risk management group a risk firm as the Bella 1. President Donald Trump stated recently that “we’ll end up getting it”.

Writing on X, the maritime monitoring group said the Bella 1 has been “in transit for 39 days” and, at an average speed of 11 knots, may have “approximately a month of fuel remaining unless her speed drops”.

The monitoring service further stated the tanker is “probably heading in a southeasterly direction towards South Africa”.