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Orbital data and vessel monitoring information has verified that the oil tanker named Skipper – the first vessel apprehended by the United States for allegedly carrying sanctioned oil from Venezuela – is currently off the coast of Texas.

Vantor satellite imagery dated 21 December shows the tanker is in the vicinity of the port of Galveston, while Automatic Identification System ship-tracking feeds from a maritime data service presently positions the vessel about 80km offshore.

The Skipper was taken into custody by US authorities on the tenth of December and has been sanctioned by several governments. At the time it was intercepted, it was incorrectly sailing under the ensign of Guyana.

This interception was succeeded by the capture of a another tanker, the Centuries tanker. This ship – unlike the Skipper – was not under sanctions when it was brought under US custody.

American agencies are currently pursuing a third vessel, which has been identified by the maritime risk group a risk firm as the Bella 1. The US President said recently that “we’ll end up getting it”.

Writing on X, the maritime monitoring group noted the Bella 1 has been “underway for 39 days” and, at an typical pace of 11 nautical miles per hour, may have “another 28 to 35 days of fuel remaining unless her speed decreases”.

The group added the tanker is “likely heading south-east towards the South African coast”.