US sells two sanctioned oil tankers seized after Venezuela raid

Key facts

• The U.S. government has sold two sanctioned oil tankers for scrap.
• The tankers, identified as Era and Lileo, were seized following a U.S. raid on Venezuela.
• The vessels were purchased by Dubai-headquartered vessel recycling firm Global Marketing Systems.
• The tankers will be demolished in scrap yards located in India.
• The Era was previously used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran.
• The Lileo was subject to U.S. sanctions against Russia.

The U.S. government has sold for scrap two sanctioned oil tankers that were seized in the days following Washington's raid on Venezuela. The Dubai-headquartered vessel recycling firm Global Marketing Systems purchased the tankers last month for an undisclosed sum. The sale includes the Era, previously operating as Marinera and Bella 1, and the Lileo, previously sailing as Galileo and Veronica. The tankers are destined for demolition in scrap yards in India.

GMS CEO Anil Sharma told Lloyd's List that the U.S. government sold the vessels under a court order, but noted complexities regarding previous ownership. The U.S. Coast Guard and military special forces seized the Russian-flagged Era in January near Iceland, concluding a pursuit after the vessel had previously evaded a U.S. blockade intended to halt oil exports from Venezuela. Washington stated at the time that the Era had been used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran.

The U.S. also seized the Russian-flagged vessel now known as Lileo in the Caribbean Sea in January. This tanker was subject to U.S. sanctions against Russia. The U.S. seized as many as 10 oil tankers following its military action in Venezuela, with sanctioned vessels frequently changing names to avoid detection.