US Pursues Forfeiture of Russian Oligarch's $300M Superyacht

The United States has filed a complaint in federal court seeking the forfeiture of a $300 million superyacht allegedly controlled by Russian billionaire Suleiman Kerimov, who is under U.S. sanctions. The yacht, named Amadea, was seized by authorities in Fiji in May 2022 and is currently docked in San Diego. The U.S. alleges that Kerimov violated sanctions by making maintenance payments through U.S. financial institutions. If successful, the U.S. would likely auction the yacht and transfer the proceeds to Ukraine. Kerimov, worth $10.7 billion, has been sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department in the past. The yacht's owners will have the opportunity to contest the claim in court.