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Satellite imagery and vessel monitoring data has confirmed that the crude carrier Skipper – the initial vessel seized by the US for allegedly transporting embargoed oil from the Venezuelan regime – is now off the coast of the state of Texas.

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

The Skipper was seized by American officials on the tenth of December and has been sanctioned by multiple governments. At the time it was intercepted, it was incorrectly flying the ensign of Guyana.

This interception was followed by the capture of a second oil vessel, the Centuries. This ship – unlike the first vessel – was not under sanctions when it was taken into American control.

US authorities are currently pursuing a third such vessel, which has been named by the maritime risk group a risk firm as the Bella 1. President Donald Trump stated yesterday that “it will ultimately be secured”.

Writing on the social media platform X, the maritime monitoring group said the vessel Bella 1 has been “in transit for 39 days” and, at an average speed of 11 nautical miles per hour, may have “approximately a month of fuel left unless her velocity decreases”.

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