Satellite Image Shows First Venezuelan Oil Ship Confiscated by American Authorities is Now Off the Texas Coast.

Satellite imagery and vessel monitoring information has confirmed that the crude carrier named Skipper – the first vessel apprehended by the United States for reportedly carrying sanctioned oil from the Venezuelan regime – is currently off the coast of the state of Texas.

A satellite firm's orbital photographs from 21 December indicates the ship is near the port of Galveston, while Automatic Identification System vessel-tracking feeds from MarineTraffic presently positions the vessel about 80km offshore.

The tanker Skipper was seized by US authorities on the tenth of December and has been blacklisted by several governments. When it was intercepted, it was incorrectly sailing under the ensign of the nation of Guyana.

This seizure was followed by the interception of a second oil vessel, the Centuries. It – unlike the Skipper – was not under official restrictions when it was taken into US custody.

US authorities are currently pursuing 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 “we’ll end up getting it”.

Writing on X, the maritime monitoring group noted the vessel Bella 1 has been “underway for over a month” and, at an average speed of 11 knots, may have “another 28 to 35 days of diesel remaining unless her speed drops”.

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