Imagery Image Reveals First Venezuela-Linked Oil Ship Confiscated by American Authorities is Currently Off the Texas Coast.

Satellite imagery and vessel monitoring data has confirmed that the oil tanker Skipper – the initial vessel seized by the US for reportedly carrying sanctioned crude from the Venezuelan regime – is now off the coast of the state of Texas.

Vantor satellite imagery dated 21 December shows the ship is in the vicinity of Galveston, while AIS vessel-tracking data from MarineTraffic presently places the vessel about 50 miles offshore.

The tanker Skipper was seized by American officials on 10 December and has been sanctioned by multiple governments. When it was seized, it was incorrectly sailing under the ensign of the nation of Guyana.

This seizure was succeeded by the capture of a another tanker, the Centuries tanker. This ship – in contrast to the first vessel – was not yet under sanctions when it was brought under US custody.

US authorities are now pursuing a third ship, which has been identified by the risk management group Vanguard as the Bella 1 tanker. President Donald Trump stated yesterday that “we’ll end up getting it”.

Writing on X, the TankerTrackers group said 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 drops”.

The group further stated the vessel is “likely heading south-east towards the South African coast”.