Satellite Data Shows First Venezuelan Tanker Seized by American Authorities is Now Near the Texas Coast.

Satellite imagery and vessel monitoring information has verified that the oil tanker Skipper – the first vessel seized by the US for reportedly transporting embargoed oil from the Venezuelan regime – is now positioned near of Texas.

Vantor satellite imagery from 21 December shows the ship is near Galveston, while AIS vessel-tracking feeds from a maritime data service presently positions the vessel about 50 miles offshore.

The tanker Skipper was seized by US authorities on 10 December and has been sanctioned by several nations. At the time it was seized, it was falsely sailing under the flag of the nation of Guyana.

This seizure was followed by the capture of a second oil vessel, the Centuries. It – unlike the first vessel – was not under sanctions when it was brought under US custody.

American agencies are currently targeting a third ship, which has been identified by the risk management group a risk firm as the Bella 1. President Donald Trump stated recently that “we’ll end up getting it”.

Writing on X, the TankerTrackers group said the vessel Bella 1 has been “underway for over a month” and, at an typical pace of 11 knots, may have “approximately a month of fuel left unless her velocity decreases”.

The group further stated the tanker is “likely traveling in a southeasterly direction towards the South African coast”.