U.S. Sells Seized Sanctioned Oil Tankers for Scrap

The Federal government of the United States sold two sanctioned oil tankers, the Era and the Lileo, to Global Marketing Systems for scrap. The sale follows a broader operation in which the U.S. seized up to 10 tankers to curb illegal oil exports.

Both vessels were Russian-flagged and seized in January following a U.S. military raid in Venezuela. The Era was captured south of Iceland after a pursuit across the Atlantic, with U.S. officials stating the ship transported sanctioned oil from Iran and Venezuela. The Lileo was seized in the Caribbean Sea and was subject to U.S. sanctions against Russia.

Global Marketing Systems, a vessel recycling firm based in Dubai, will oversee the demolition of the tankers in scrap yards in India. Anil Sharma, the CEO of Global Marketing Systems, confirmed the purchase and noted that while a court order authorized the sales, complexities existed regarding the previous ownership of the vessels.