🔗 Share this article Satellite Image Reveals Initial Venezuela-Linked Oil Ship Seized by US is Now Off Texas. American agents roped onto the deck of the Skipper on 10 December. Satellite imagery and vessel monitoring information has verified that the crude carrier Skipper – the first vessel seized by the US for reportedly carrying sanctioned crude from the Venezuelan regime – is now positioned near of the state of Texas. Vantor orbital photographs from 21 December shows the ship is in the vicinity of the port of Galveston, while AIS vessel-tracking feeds from a maritime data service presently positions the Skipper about 80km from the coast. The Skipper was taken into custody by American officials on 10 December and has been sanctioned by multiple nations. At the time it was intercepted, it was falsely flying the ensign of Guyana. This seizure was followed by the capture of a another oil vessel, the Centuries. It – in contrast to the first vessel – was not under official restrictions when it was taken into American control. US authorities are now targeting a third vessel, which has been named by the maritime risk group a risk firm as the Bella 1 tanker. The US President said recently that “it will ultimately be secured”. Writing on X, the maritime monitoring group said the vessel Bella 1 has been “underway for 39 days” and, at an typical pace of 11 knots, may have “another 28 to 35 days of fuel remaining unless her speed decreases”. The monitoring service added the tanker is “likely traveling south-east towards South Africa”.