🔗 Share this article Satellite Data Reveals Initial Venezuelan Oil Ship Seized by US is Currently Near Texas. American personnel roped onto the deck of the Skipper on 10 December. Orbital data and vessel monitoring data has confirmed that the oil tanker named Skipper – the first vessel seized by the US for reportedly transporting sanctioned oil from Venezuela – is now positioned near of the state of Texas. A satellite firm's satellite imagery dated 21 December indicates the tanker is in the vicinity of Galveston, while Automatic Identification System ship-tracking feeds from MarineTraffic presently positions the Skipper about 80km from the coast. The Skipper was seized by US authorities on the tenth of December and has been sanctioned by several governments. At the time it was seized, it was falsely sailing under the flag of Guyana. This interception was followed by the interception of a second tanker, the Centuries. This ship – unlike the first vessel – was not yet under sanctions when it was taken into American control. US authorities are now 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 “we’ll end up getting it”. Writing on X, the maritime monitoring group said the Bella 1 has been “in transit for over a month” and, at an average speed of 11 knots, may have “approximately a month of diesel left unless her velocity decreases”. The group further stated the vessel is “probably heading south-east towards South Africa”.