US sells two sanctioned oil tankers seized after Venezuela raid for scrap

The U.S. government has sold two sanctioned Russian-flagged oil tankers, the Era and the Lileo, to Dubai-based ship recycling firm Global Marketing Systems for scrap. The vessels, which were seized in January 2026 following U.S. military action in Venezuela, will be demolished in Indian scrap yards. Global Marketing Systems CEO Anil Sharma noted that the transaction was authorized by a court order but complicated by uncertainty over the tankers' previous ownership.

Seized tanker sale for scrap

• ▪The U.S. government sold two sanctioned oil tankers, the Era and the Lileo, to Dubai-based ship recycling firm Global Marketing Systems in July 2026 for an undisclosed sum.
• ▪The oil tankers Era and Lileo, sold by the U.S. government to Global Marketing Systems, are scheduled to be demolished in Indian scrap yards.

Venezuela military raid seizures

• ▪The U.S. government seized as many as 10 oil tankers following its military action in Venezuela.
• ▪The U.S. Coast Guard and military special forces seized the Russian-flagged oil tanker Era in January 2026 in waters south of Iceland after a weeks-long pursuit across the Atlantic.

Vessel renaming for sanctions evasion

• ▪Sanctioned vessels frequently change their names to evade detection by authorities.
• ▪The oil tanker Era previously operated under the names Marinera and Bella 1, while the Lileo previously sailed under the names Galileo and Veronica.

Unclear tanker ownership complexities

• ▪Global Marketing Systems CEO Anil Sharma stated that the purchase of the Era and Lileo involved complexities, including uncertainty regarding the previous owners of the vessels.
• ▪A court order authorized the U.S. government's sale of the seized oil tankers Era and Lileo to Global Marketing Systems.

Russian-flagged oil transport sanctions

• ▪The U.S. government stated that the Russian-flagged tanker Era had bypassed a U.S. blockade in the Caribbean to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran.
• ▪The U.S. government seized the Russian-flagged tanker Lileo in the Caribbean Sea in January 2026 under sanctions targeting Russia.

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