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Satellite imagery and vessel monitoring information has verified that the crude carrier Skipper – the first vessel seized by the US for allegedly carrying sanctioned crude from Venezuela – is now positioned near of Texas.

Vantor orbital photographs from 21 December shows the tanker is near the port of Galveston, while AIS ship-tracking data from MarineTraffic currently places the vessel about 80km from the coast.

The Skipper was seized by American officials on 10 December and has been sanctioned by several nations. At the time it was intercepted, it was incorrectly flying the ensign of Guyana.

This interception was succeeded by the capture of a second oil vessel, the Centuries. It – in contrast to the first vessel – was not under official restrictions when it was taken into American control.

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

Writing on X, the TankerTrackers group noted the vessel Bella 1 has been “underway for 39 days” and, at an average speed of 11 knots, may have “another 28 to 35 days of diesel left unless her speed drops”.

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