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Orbital data and vessel monitoring data has confirmed that the oil tanker named Skipper – the first vessel apprehended by the US for reportedly transporting embargoed crude from Venezuela – is now positioned near of the state of Texas.

Vantor orbital photographs dated 21 December shows the tanker is near Galveston, while AIS ship-tracking data from a maritime data service presently positions the Skipper about 80km offshore.

The tanker Skipper was taken into custody by American officials on the tenth of December and has been sanctioned by several governments. At the time it was seized, it was falsely sailing under the ensign of Guyana.

This seizure was followed by the interception of a second oil vessel, the Centuries. It – unlike the Skipper – was not under official restrictions when it was taken into American control.

American agencies are now targeting a third vessel, which has been identified by the risk management 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 vessel Bella 1 has been “in transit for 39 days” and, at an typical pace of 11 nautical miles per hour, may have “another 28 to 35 days of fuel left unless her velocity drops”.

The group further stated the tanker is “likely traveling in a southeasterly direction towards South Africa”.