Satellite Data Shows First Venezuela-Linked Oil Ship Confiscated by American Authorities is Now Near Texas.

Satellite imagery and vessel monitoring information has verified that the oil tanker Skipper – the initial vessel apprehended by the United States for allegedly transporting sanctioned oil from the Venezuelan regime – is currently off the coast 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 presently positions the Skipper about 80km from the coast.

The Skipper was seized by American officials on 10 December and has been blacklisted by several nations. At the time it was seized, it was falsely sailing under the ensign of Guyana.

This seizure was followed by the capture of a another oil vessel, the Centuries tanker. It – in contrast to the Skipper – was not under official restrictions 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 Vanguard as the Bella 1 tanker. President Donald Trump stated yesterday that “we’ll end up getting it”.

Writing on X, the TankerTrackers group noted the vessel Bella 1 has been “underway for 39 days” and, at an typical pace of 11 knots, may have “another 28 to 35 days of diesel remaining unless her speed drops”.

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