US Sells Two Seized Russian Tankers for Scrap

The United States government recently sold two sanctioned Russian oil tankers, Era and Lileo, for scrap after seizing the vessels earlier this year. According to Reuters, citing Lloyd’s List, Dubai-based ship recycling firm Global Marketing Systems (GMS) acquired the tankers last month. The exact sale price remains undisclosed, as reported by UATV English.

Era, previously known as Marinera and Bella 1, and Lileo, previously identified as Galileo and Veronica, are set to be dismantled at shipbreaking facilities in India. GMS CEO Anil Sharma revealed that the U.S. government authorized the sale following a court ruling, although GMS encountered challenges in determining the vessels' previous ownership.

In January, the U.S. Coast Guard and military special forces apprehended Era off the coast of Iceland after a weeks-long pursuit across the Atlantic. Washington claimed the vessel had been utilized to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran after breaching a U.S. blockade in the Caribbean. Lileo, operating under the Russian flag at the time, was seized in the Caribbean by the United States in January.

Both seizures occurred as part of a larger U.S. initiative to combat sanctioned oil shipments and vessels linked to Russia's so-called shadow fleet. Subsequently, following military operations in Venezuela, the United States seized a total of 10 oil tankers. Sanctioned vessels often alter their names and ownership to evade detection and restrictions.