Satellite Data Reveals First Venezuela-Linked Oil Ship Seized by US is Now Near Texas.

Orbital data and ship tracking data has confirmed that the oil tanker named Skipper – the initial vessel seized by the United States for reportedly transporting embargoed crude from the Venezuelan regime – is now off the coast of the state of Texas.

Vantor orbital photographs from 21 December shows the ship is near the port of Galveston, while AIS ship-tracking data from MarineTraffic presently positions the Skipper about 50 miles from the coast.

The Skipper was taken into custody by US authorities on 10 December and has been sanctioned by multiple nations. At the time it was intercepted, it was falsely sailing under the flag of Guyana.

This interception 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 US custody.

American agencies are now targeting a third such vessel, which has been identified by the risk management group Vanguard as the Bella 1 tanker. The US President stated recently that “it will ultimately be secured”.

Writing on X, the maritime monitoring group noted the 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 speed decreases”.

The monitoring service added the vessel is “likely traveling south-east towards the South African coast”.