Imagery Data Reveals Initial Venezuela-Linked Oil Ship Seized by US is Now Near the Texas Coast.

Orbital data and ship tracking information has verified that the crude carrier named Skipper – the first vessel seized by the US for allegedly carrying embargoed oil from Venezuela – is currently off the coast of Texas.

Vantor satellite imagery dated 21 December shows the ship is near Galveston, while Automatic Identification System ship-tracking data from MarineTraffic presently places the Skipper about 50 miles from the coast.

The tanker Skipper was seized by US authorities on the tenth of December and has been blacklisted by several nations. When it was seized, it was falsely sailing under the ensign of Guyana.

This seizure was succeeded by the interception of a another tanker, the Centuries tanker. This ship – in contrast to the Skipper – was not yet under sanctions when it was brought under American control.

US authorities are currently pursuing a third vessel, which has been identified by the maritime risk group a risk firm as the Bella 1 tanker. President Donald Trump stated yesterday that “it will ultimately be secured”.

Writing on X, the maritime monitoring group noted the vessel Bella 1 has been “in transit for over a month” and, at an typical pace of 11 knots, may have “another 28 to 35 days of fuel remaining unless her speed drops”.

The group added the tanker is “likely heading in a southeasterly direction towards the South African coast”.