The US government has sold for scrap two sanctioned oil tankers previously seized in operations targeting sanctions evasion linked to Russia, Iran, and Venezuela.
The buyer is the Dubai-based ship recycling company Global Marketing Systems (GMS). The deal, whose value has not been disclosed, was concluded in July on the basis of a US court order. The tankers will be sent for demolition at shipbreaking yards in India (at the port of Alang).
The vessels included in the sale are:
Era (formerly Marinera and Bella 1) — a Russian-flagged tanker seized in January 2026 in waters south of Iceland after a multi-week pursuit across the Atlantic. The vessel had earlier tried to bypass the US blockade in the Caribbean and, according to the United States, had been used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran.
Lileo (formerly Galileo and Veronica) — also flying the Russian flag, detained in January in the Caribbean Sea. The tanker was subject to US sanctions related to Russia.
These ships belonged to the so-called “shadow fleet” — aging tankers used to circumvent Western sanctions on oil from Russia, Iran, and Venezuela. In total, during US operations in late 2025 and early 2026 connected with the blockade of Venezuelan oil exports, up to ten such tankers were seized.
The sale for scrap has become one of the first public examples of the final disposal of confiscated “shadow fleet” vessels. Previously, US authorities faced difficulties in attempting to sell or otherwise dispose of such assets due to sanctions restrictions and the refusal of banks and insurers to deal with them.
Thus, the United States has effectively begun the process of taking out of service the old tankers seized as part of the fight against sanctions evasion.