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Satellite imagery and ship tracking data has confirmed that the crude carrier Skipper – the initial vessel apprehended by the US for allegedly transporting sanctioned crude from the Venezuelan regime – is currently positioned near of Texas.

Vantor satellite imagery from 21 December indicates the tanker is near the port of Galveston, while AIS ship-tracking feeds from a maritime data service presently places the vessel about 50 miles offshore.

The tanker Skipper was taken into custody by US authorities on 10 December and has been blacklisted by multiple governments. At the time it was intercepted, it was falsely flying the flag of the nation of Guyana.

This interception was followed by the interception of a another tanker, the Centuries. It – unlike the Skipper – was not under official restrictions when it was brought under US custody.

American agencies are now targeting a third vessel, which has been identified by the risk management group a risk firm as the Bella 1. President Donald Trump said recently that “it will ultimately be secured”.

Writing on the social media platform X, the maritime monitoring group said the Bella 1 has been “in transit for 39 days” and, at an average speed of 11 knots, may have “approximately a month of diesel left unless her velocity decreases”.

The monitoring service added the tanker is “likely traveling in a southeasterly direction towards the South African coast”.