Two sources confirmed on Friday that the oil'supertanker Skipper', which was seized this week by the U.S. near Venezuela as part of a pressure campaign against President Nicolas Maduro is headed to Houston.

According to?TankerTrackers.com's analysis of satellite images, the Very Large Crude?Carrier is too big to enter Houston and will have to anchor nearby and unload the cargo onto smaller ships.

Port Houston and the Houston-Galveston division of the U.S. Coast Guard did not respond to comments immediately. Venezuela's PDVSA state oil company, which sold the cargo, did not respond to a comment request.

The U.S. Attorney-General Pam Bondi stated this week that the?tanker had been intercepted and seized under a seizure order. Guyana's maritime authorities said the ship was flying a false flag. The seizure and subsequent escalation of tensions between Washington, D.C., and Caracas has been a result of the seizure. Sources familiar with the situation said that Washington was preparing to intercept additional?ships carrying Venezuelan oil. Reporting by Jonathan Saul, Marianna Pararaga, and Arathy Sommesekhar, in Houston. Editing by Nathan Crooks and Rod Nickel.

(source: Reuters)