US sells seized Venezuelan oil tankers for scrap

The United States government has sold for scrap two sanctioned oil tankers seized after its military action in Venezuela, according to Lloyd's List. The vessels, the Era and the Lileo, were purchased by Dubai-based vessel recycling firm Global Marketing Systems (GMS) last month for an undisclosed sum, the report said. GMS CEO Anil Sharma told Lloyd's List that the US government had sold the tankers to them with a court order authorizing the sale, but there were complexities, notably the uncertainty over the previous ownership of the ships.

The Era and Lileo were seized in January by US Coast Guard and military special forces in the Caribbean and the Atlantic, respectively. The Era had previously evaded a US blockade in the Caribbean, while the Lileo was subject to US sanctions against Russia. These tankers are among as many as 10 oil tankers seized by the US during its military operation in Venezuela. Sanctioned vessels often alter their names to avoid detection.