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Orbital data and vessel monitoring information has confirmed that the crude carrier named Skipper – the first vessel apprehended by the United States for reportedly transporting sanctioned crude from the Venezuelan regime – is currently off the coast of Texas.

Vantor orbital photographs from 21 December indicates the ship is in the vicinity of the port of Galveston, while AIS ship-tracking data from MarineTraffic currently places the vessel about 80km offshore.

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

This seizure was followed by the interception of a second tanker, the Centuries. It – in contrast to the Skipper – was not yet under sanctions when it was brought under American control.

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

Writing on X, the maritime monitoring group said the Bella 1 has been “in transit for over a month” and, at an typical pace of 11 nautical miles per hour, may have “approximately a month of fuel left unless her speed drops”.

The monitoring service further stated the vessel is “likely traveling in a southeasterly direction towards South Africa”.