Satellite Data Shows Initial Venezuelan Oil Ship Confiscated by American Authorities is Currently Near Texas.

Satellite imagery and ship tracking data has verified that the oil tanker Skipper – the first vessel apprehended by the United States for reportedly carrying sanctioned oil from Venezuela – is currently positioned near of the state of Texas.

A satellite firm's orbital photographs from 21 December indicates the tanker is in the vicinity of Galveston, while AIS ship-tracking data from MarineTraffic currently places the vessel about 50 miles offshore.

The tanker Skipper was taken into custody by US authorities on the tenth of December and has been blacklisted by several nations. At the time it was seized, it was falsely sailing under the ensign of Guyana.

This interception was followed by the capture of a second 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 currently pursuing a third such vessel, which has been named by the risk management group a risk firm as the Bella 1. The US President stated recently that “we’ll end up getting it”.

Writing on the social media platform X, the maritime monitoring group noted the Bella 1 has been “in transit for over a month” and, at an typical pace of 11 knots, may have “another 28 to 35 days of diesel remaining unless her speed decreases”.

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