🔗 Share this article Imagery Image Reveals First Venezuela-Linked Oil Ship Confiscated by American Authorities is Currently Off the Texas Coast. US personnel roped onto the deck of the Skipper on December 10th. Satellite imagery and vessel monitoring data has confirmed that the crude carrier named Skipper – the first vessel apprehended by the US for reportedly transporting sanctioned crude from the Venezuelan regime – is currently positioned near of Texas. Vantor orbital photographs dated 21 December indicates the tanker is near the port of Galveston, while AIS ship-tracking data from a maritime data service presently positions the Skipper about 50 miles offshore. The tanker Skipper was seized by American officials on 10 December and has been sanctioned by multiple governments. At the time it was intercepted, it was falsely sailing under the ensign of Guyana. This interception was succeeded by the interception of a second oil vessel, the Centuries tanker. This ship – unlike the Skipper – was not under official restrictions when it was brought under US custody. American agencies are currently targeting a third such vessel, which has been named by the risk management group Vanguard as the Bella 1 tanker. President Donald Trump stated yesterday that “we’ll end up getting it”. 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 fuel remaining unless her velocity decreases”. The monitoring service added the tanker is “likely traveling south-east towards South Africa”.