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Orbital data and ship tracking information has confirmed that the crude carrier named Skipper – the initial vessel seized by the US for allegedly transporting embargoed oil from the Venezuelan regime – is now off the coast of the state of Texas.

A satellite firm's satellite imagery from 21 December indicates the tanker is near Galveston, while AIS vessel-tracking feeds from a maritime data service currently places the vessel about 80km offshore.

The Skipper was taken into custody by US authorities on 10 December and has been blacklisted by several governments. When it was intercepted, it was incorrectly flying the flag of the nation of Guyana.

This seizure was followed by the capture of a second oil vessel, the Centuries tanker. This ship – in contrast to the Skipper – was not yet under sanctions when it was taken into American control.

American agencies are currently pursuing a third such vessel, which has been named by the risk management group a risk firm as the Bella 1 tanker. The US President said yesterday that “we’ll end up getting it”.

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 typical pace of 11 nautical miles per hour, may have “approximately a month of diesel left unless her speed drops”.

The group added the tanker is “likely heading in a southeasterly direction towards the South African coast”.