U.S. sells two “shadow fleet” tankers seized in January for scrap

The U.S. government has recently sold two sanctioned oil tankers, seized in January and dubbed the "shadow fleet," for scrap, according to a report by industry publication Lloyd’s List. The vessels, named Era and Lileo, were both purchased by Dubai-based company Global Marketing Systems (GMS) in July. The exact value of the deal was not disclosed.

Both tankers are scheduled for scrapping at Alang, India. GMS CEO Anil Sharma revealed to Lloyd’s List that the sales were authorized by a court order, but there were complexities, particularly regarding the ownership history of the vessels. The Era, which had previously sailed under the names Bella 1 and Marinera, was seized by American forces in January after a two-week pursuit.

During the chase, the tanker changed its flag to Russian. Its captain, Georgian citizen Avtandil Kalandadze, was subsequently arrested and sentenced to 10 months in prison and deportation by a U.S. court for refusing to comply with a U.S. Coast Guard order to cease operations. Lileo, formerly known as Veronica and Galileo, was also seized in January near Venezuela. The U.S. government alleged that the tankers were used to smuggle oil from Venezuela and Iran.