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Satellite imagery and vessel monitoring information has confirmed that the crude carrier named Skipper – the first vessel seized by the US for reportedly transporting embargoed oil from the Venezuelan regime – is now off the coast of the state of Texas.

Vantor satellite imagery from 21 December shows the ship is near Galveston, while AIS ship-tracking data from a maritime data service currently positions the Skipper about 50 miles offshore.

The Skipper was taken into custody by American officials on 10 December and has been blacklisted by several governments. At the time it was seized, it was falsely flying the flag of Guyana.

This seizure was succeeded by the interception of a another tanker, the Centuries tanker. This ship – unlike the first vessel – was not yet under official restrictions when it was brought under US custody.

US authorities are now targeting a third such ship, which has been named by the maritime risk group a risk firm as the Bella 1. The US President 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 39 days” and, at an average speed of 11 nautical miles per hour, may have “another 28 to 35 days of diesel left unless her velocity decreases”.

The group further stated the tanker is “likely heading in a southeasterly direction towards South Africa”.