Archive · 11 Aug 2026
US sells two seized sanctioned oil tankers for scrap
The United States government stopped two big ships that were breaking the rules.
The ships were moving oil from countries like Venezuela and Iran, which the U.S. had said was not allowed.
Soldiers and the Coast Guard caught one ship south of Iceland after following it across the ocean for weeks.
They caught another ship in the Caribbean Sea.
After that, the U.S. government sold both ships to a company called Global Marketing Systems.
This company is based in Dubai.
The company will take the ships apart in India, where they will be turned into scrap.
The ships had changed their names to try to hide from the people looking for them.
The U.S. government says it stopped up to ten oil ships like these after taking action over Venezuela.
Selling the seized ships for scrap is how the U.S. got rid of them and punished the rule-breaking.
The U.S. government sold two sanctioned oil tankers, the Era and the Lileo, for scrap, Lloyd's List reported.
Dubai-headquartered recycler Global Marketing Systems bought the tankers last month for an undisclosed sum, and they will be demolished in scrap yards in India.
The Russian-flagged Era was seized in January south of Iceland after a weeks-long Atlantic pursuit and had carried sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran.
The Russian-flagged Lileo was seized in the Caribbean Sea in January and was subject to U.S. sanctions against Russia.
The U.S. seized as many as 10 oil tankers after its military action in Venezuela, and sanctioned vessels frequently change names to evade detection.
- Who
- The U.S. government sold the tankers; Dubai-based recycling firm Global Marketing Systems (GMS) bought them, with GMS CEO Anil Sharma commenting on the deal.
- What
- Two sanctioned oil tankers, the Era and the Lileo, were sold for scrap after being seized by U.S. forces.
- When
- Reported on Aug 10; both tankers were seized in January and GMS purchased them last month.
- Where
- The Era was seized south of Iceland and the Lileo in the Caribbean Sea; the tankers will be scrapped in India, and GMS is based in Dubai.
- Why
- The tankers were seized and sold to enforce U.S. sanctions, as the Era had carried sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran and the Lileo was subject to sanctions against Russia.
- Tankers sold
- Era (formerly Marinera, Bella 1) and Lileo (formerly Galileo, Veronica)
- Buyer
- Global Marketing Systems (GMS), headquartered in Dubai
- Sale price
- Undisclosed
- Destination
- Scrap yards in India
- Era seizure
- January, waters south of Iceland, after weeks-long Atlantic pursuit
- Lileo seizure
- January, Caribbean Sea
- Total tankers seized after Venezuela action
- Up to 10
- Report source
- Lloyd's List, reported Aug 10