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Orbital data and ship tracking data has verified that the oil tanker Skipper – the initial vessel seized by the United States for reportedly carrying sanctioned crude from Venezuela – is now off the coast of the state of Texas.

A satellite firm's satellite imagery from 21 December indicates the ship is in the vicinity of Galveston, while AIS vessel-tracking feeds from a maritime data service currently places the vessel about 50 miles from the coast.

The tanker Skipper was seized by US authorities on the tenth of December and has been sanctioned by multiple governments. At the time it was intercepted, it was falsely flying the ensign of Guyana.

This interception was succeeded by the interception of a second oil vessel, the Centuries. It – unlike the first vessel – was not under sanctions when it was taken into US custody.

US authorities are now targeting a third such ship, which has been named by the risk management group a risk firm as the Bella 1 tanker. The US President said yesterday that “it will ultimately be secured”.

Writing on the social media platform X, the maritime monitoring group noted 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 tanker is “probably traveling south-east towards South Africa”.