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Orbital data and vessel monitoring data has confirmed that the crude carrier Skipper – the initial vessel seized by the United States for allegedly carrying embargoed crude from the Venezuelan regime – is now positioned near of Texas.

A satellite firm's satellite imagery dated 21 December indicates the ship is in the vicinity of the port of Galveston, while Automatic Identification System ship-tracking data from MarineTraffic currently positions the vessel about 50 miles offshore.

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

This seizure was succeeded by the interception of a another tanker, the Centuries tanker. This ship – in contrast to the Skipper – was not yet under official restrictions when it was brought under US custody.

American agencies are now targeting a third such vessel, which has been identified by the maritime risk group Vanguard as the Bella 1. President Donald Trump stated yesterday that “it will ultimately be secured”.

Writing on the social media platform X, the TankerTrackers group noted the Bella 1 has been “in transit for 39 days” and, at an typical pace of 11 knots, may have “another 28 to 35 days of fuel remaining unless her velocity decreases”.

The group added the tanker is “likely traveling in a southeasterly direction towards South Africa”.