How Can America Seize Russian Yachts?

The US has seized a 255-foot, 90 million superyacht belonging to billionaire Viktor Vekselberg, a ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. European countries have seized the most yachts so far, but the U.S. Justice Department has launched a task force aiming to seize Russian yachts. In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the US and its allies have focused on their luxury yachts, filled with amenities like heated pools and wine cellars.

As part of an international pressure campaign against Russia, authorities from around the world have seized over a half-dozen superyachts belonging to billionaire oligarchs allied with The US is considering stepping up its campaign against Russian oligarchs. There is bipartisan interest in Congress to seize assets from individuals with close ties to Putin.

The U.S. federal agents and Spain’s Civil Guard are searching the yacht owned by a Russian oligarch. The yacht is among the assets linked to Viktor Vekselberg, a billionaire. Under the law, prosecutors can consider freezing the asset or seizing it, which requires a probable cause standard and potentially a warrant. Prosecutors then ask a judge to sign a warrant for a seizure, which permits them to take it. Civil asset forfeiture is an especially useful tool.

The U.S. government has said it is spending more than 7 million a year to maintain a superyacht it seized from a sanctioned Russian oligarch. To actually seize and take ownership of an oligarch’s yacht or villa, government prosecutors have to prove the property was part of a crime.

To date, the U.S. has obtained seizure warrants for several yachts and airplanes, while it has been able to seize two of them with the help of a US-based yacht docked in a Ukrainian port.