It is the first time the US government has seized an oligarch’s yacht since the country assembled a task force to target Russian elites in response to the Kremlin invasion of Ukraine. The Spanish Civil Guard and US federal agents descended on the Tango at Marina Real in the port of Palma de Mallorca, the capital of the Balearic Islands of Spain. 75 Russian diplomats expelled from Western Europe – live updates The 78-meter-long boat has been valued at ,5 91.5 million by superyachtfan.com, a specialized website that monitors the largest and most exclusive yachts in the world. The U.S. Department of Justice, which received a warrant from a federal judge in Washington, D.C., says the yacht should be dropped for violating U.S. law on bank fraud, money laundering and sanctions. Associated Press reporters at the scene saw police getting in and out of the boat Monday morning. The yacht is among the assets associated with billionaire Viktor Vekselberg. Image: A US federal agent and two Civil Guards board a yacht called the Tango in Palma de Mallorca. Photo: AP He is a close ally of Putin and the leader of the Moscow-based Renova Group, a heterogeneous group that includes metals, mining and other assets, according to US Treasury Department documents. All of Mr. Vekselberg’s assets in the US have been frozen and US companies are barred from doing business with him and his entities. Read more: Mass graves, torture and broken bodies – Buha’s horror He was first sanctioned by the US in 2018 and again in March this year, shortly after the start of the invasion of Ukraine. He has also been sanctioned by the authorities in the United Kingdom. Picture: Reporters at the scene saw police coming in and out of the boat Monday morning More than 1,000 Russian oligarchs and entities have been sanctioned by the United Kingdom following Russia’s invasion of the neighboring country. This is the first seizure in the US since Attorney General Merrick Garland and US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen convened a working group known as REPO – short for Russian Elites, Plenipotentiaries and Oligarchs – in response to the Russian invasion. Follow the Daily Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker In a statement, Garland said “it will not be the last.” French and Italian officials have also seized yachts and assets linked to Russian oligarchs.
