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Satellite imagery and vessel monitoring information has confirmed that the oil tanker named Skipper – the initial vessel apprehended by the US for allegedly carrying sanctioned crude from the Venezuelan regime – is now off the coast of the state of Texas.

A satellite firm's orbital photographs dated 21 December indicates the ship is near Galveston, while AIS vessel-tracking feeds from a maritime data service currently positions the vessel about 80km offshore.

The 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 intercepted, it was falsely flying the flag of the nation of Guyana.

This seizure was followed by the interception of a second oil vessel, the Centuries tanker. It – unlike the first vessel – was not under sanctions when it was taken into US custody.

US authorities are currently targeting a third such ship, which has been identified by the risk management group Vanguard as the Bella 1. President Donald Trump said recently that “it will ultimately be secured”.

Writing on the social media platform X, the TankerTrackers group said the vessel Bella 1 has been “in transit for over a month” and, at an average speed of 11 knots, may have “another 28 to 35 days of diesel remaining unless her speed decreases”.

The monitoring service added the vessel is “probably traveling south-east towards the South African coast”.