🔗 Share this article Imagery Data Reveals First Venezuelan Oil Ship Seized by US is Now Near Texas. US personnel boarding the vessel of the tanker Skipper on December 10th. Orbital data and ship tracking data has verified that the crude carrier named Skipper – the first vessel apprehended by the United States for allegedly carrying sanctioned oil from the Venezuelan regime – is currently off the coast of the state of Texas. A satellite firm's satellite imagery from 21 December shows the ship is near Galveston, while Automatic Identification System vessel-tracking data from a maritime data service presently places the vessel about 50 miles from the coast. The Skipper was taken into custody by US authorities on the tenth of December and has been sanctioned by several nations. When it was intercepted, it was incorrectly sailing under the flag of the nation of Guyana. This interception was followed by the interception of a second tanker, the Centuries tanker. This ship – unlike the Skipper – was not yet under official restrictions when it was taken into American control. US authorities are now pursuing a third such vessel, which has been identified by the risk management group a risk firm as the Bella 1. The US President said recently that “it will ultimately be secured”. Writing on X, the TankerTrackers group noted the Bella 1 has been “underway for over a month” and, at an typical pace of 11 knots, may have “another 28 to 35 days of fuel left unless her velocity decreases”. The group further stated the tanker is “likely traveling in a southeasterly direction towards the South African coast”.