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Satellite imagery and ship tracking information has confirmed that the crude carrier Skipper – the initial vessel seized by the United States for allegedly carrying sanctioned oil from the Venezuelan regime – is now positioned near of the state of Texas.

A satellite firm's orbital photographs dated 21 December shows the tanker is near the port of Galveston, while AIS ship-tracking data from MarineTraffic presently places the Skipper about 50 miles offshore.

The Skipper was taken into custody by American officials on 10 December and has been sanctioned by several nations. At the time it was seized, it was falsely flying the flag of the nation of Guyana.

This interception was succeeded by the capture of a another tanker, the Centuries. This ship – unlike the first vessel – was not under sanctions when it was taken into American control.

US authorities are currently targeting a third vessel, which has been named by the maritime risk group Vanguard as the Bella 1 tanker. President Donald Trump stated yesterday that “it will ultimately be secured”.

Writing on the social media platform X, the maritime monitoring group said the Bella 1 has been “underway for over a month” and, at an typical pace of 11 nautical miles per hour, may have “another 28 to 35 days of diesel remaining unless her velocity decreases”.

The group further stated the tanker is “probably traveling south-east towards the South African coast”.