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Orbital data and vessel monitoring information has verified that the crude carrier named Skipper – the first vessel apprehended by the US for allegedly transporting sanctioned oil from Venezuela – is currently positioned near of the state of Texas.

A satellite firm's satellite imagery from 21 December shows the ship is near Galveston, while AIS vessel-tracking data from a maritime data service currently positions the vessel about 50 miles offshore.

The tanker Skipper was taken into custody by American officials on 10 December and has been blacklisted by multiple nations. At the time it was intercepted, it was incorrectly sailing under the ensign of the nation of Guyana.

This seizure was followed by the interception of a second oil vessel, the Centuries. This ship – in contrast to the Skipper – was not yet under sanctions when it was brought under US custody.

US authorities are now targeting a third ship, which has been named by the maritime risk group a risk firm as the Bella 1 tanker. The US President stated recently that “we’ll end up getting it”.

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

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