Imagery Data Shows First Venezuelan Tanker Confiscated by American Authorities is Now Off the Texas Coast.

Satellite imagery and ship tracking information has confirmed that the oil tanker named Skipper – the first vessel apprehended by the US for reportedly carrying embargoed oil from Venezuela – is currently positioned near of the state of Texas.

Vantor satellite imagery from 21 December indicates 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 80km offshore.

The Skipper was taken into custody by American officials on the tenth of December and has been sanctioned by multiple governments. When it was seized, it was incorrectly sailing under the flag of Guyana.

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

American agencies are now targeting a third such ship, which has been identified by the risk management 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 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 velocity drops”.

The group added the tanker is “probably heading south-east towards South Africa”.