Imagery Data Shows First Venezuela-Linked Oil Ship Confiscated by US is Now Off the Texas Coast.

Orbital data and ship tracking data has confirmed that the oil tanker Skipper – the initial vessel apprehended by the United States for allegedly carrying embargoed oil from the Venezuelan regime – is currently off the coast of Texas.

A satellite firm's satellite imagery dated 21 December shows the ship is near Galveston, while Automatic Identification System ship-tracking data from a maritime data service presently places the Skipper about 50 miles from the coast.

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

This interception was followed by the interception of a second tanker, the Centuries tanker. It – unlike the Skipper – was not yet under sanctions when it was brought under American control.

American agencies are now pursuing a third ship, which has been named by the risk management group a risk firm as the Bella 1. President Donald Trump stated yesterday that “it will ultimately be secured”.

Writing on X, the TankerTrackers group said the vessel Bella 1 has been “in transit for over a month” and, at an average speed of 11 knots, may have “approximately a month of diesel remaining unless her speed decreases”.

The group further stated the vessel is “probably heading in a southeasterly direction towards the South African coast”.