🔗 Share this article Imagery Image Reveals Initial Venezuelan Oil Ship Confiscated by American Authorities is Now Off Texas. US agents roped onto the vessel of the Skipper on December 10th. Satellite imagery and vessel monitoring data has verified that the oil tanker named Skipper – the initial vessel apprehended by the US for allegedly carrying sanctioned oil from Venezuela – is currently positioned near of the state of Texas. A satellite firm's satellite imagery dated 21 December shows the tanker is in the vicinity of the port of Galveston, while Automatic Identification System vessel-tracking feeds from MarineTraffic currently positions the Skipper about 50 miles offshore. The Skipper was seized by American officials on the tenth of December and has been sanctioned by several nations. At the time it was intercepted, it was incorrectly sailing under the ensign of Guyana. This seizure was followed by the capture of a second tanker, the Centuries. This ship – in contrast to the first vessel – was not yet under sanctions when it was brought under American control. US authorities are currently pursuing a third such ship, which has been identified by the maritime risk group a risk firm as the Bella 1. The US President said yesterday that “it will ultimately be secured”. Writing on X, the maritime monitoring group noted the Bella 1 has been “in transit for 39 days” and, at an average speed of 11 knots, may have “approximately a month of diesel left unless her speed decreases”. The monitoring service further stated the tanker is “probably heading south-east towards the South African coast”.