U.S. sells two ‘shadow fleet’ tankers for scrap. One switched to a Russian flag during its seizure.
The U.S. government has sold two sanctioned oil tankers it seized in January 2026, the trade publication Lloyd’s List reported.
In January 2026, the U.S. government sold two sanctioned oil tankers it seized earlier that year, according to the trade publication Lloyd’s List. The deal involved the tanker Era, previously known as Marinera and Bella 1, and the Lileo, formerly Galileo and Veronika. Global Marketing Systems (GMS), a Dubai-based ship recycling company, purchased both vessels in July for an undisclosed amount.
These tankers were destined for scrapping at facilities in India. The U.S. military seized the Bella 1 tanker on January 7 in the northern Atlantic Ocean after a prolonged pursuit. Initially sailing under a Panamanian flag, the vessel switched to a Russian flag during the chase and renamed itself the Marinera. Washington claimed the tanker had been carrying sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran.
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