Satellite Data Reveals Initial Venezuela-Linked Oil Ship Confiscated by US is Currently Near the Texas Coast.

Orbital data and vessel monitoring information has verified that the crude carrier named Skipper – the initial vessel seized by the United States for reportedly carrying sanctioned oil from the Venezuelan regime – is now off the coast of Texas.

Vantor satellite imagery dated 21 December indicates the ship is in the vicinity of Galveston, while Automatic Identification System ship-tracking data from MarineTraffic presently places the vessel about 50 miles offshore.

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

This seizure was succeeded by the interception of a second oil vessel, the Centuries tanker. This ship – unlike the first vessel – was not under sanctions when it was taken into US custody.

US authorities are now pursuing a third such vessel, which has been named by the maritime risk group a risk firm as the Bella 1 tanker. President Donald Trump said recently that “it will ultimately be secured”.

Writing on the social media platform X, the TankerTrackers group noted the vessel Bella 1 has been “underway for over a month” and, at an average speed of 11 nautical miles per hour, may have “another 28 to 35 days of diesel left unless her velocity drops”.

The monitoring service added the tanker is “probably heading in a southeasterly direction towards the South African coast”.