The U.S. has spent tens of millions of dollars over more than two years maintaining a $230 million mega-yacht it seized as part of efforts to crack down on oligarchs linked to Russian President Vladimir Putin during the war in Ukraine, newly unearthed documents reveal.
Ever since U.S. authorities captured the Amadea in May 2022 in Fiji, American taxpayer funds have gone to payments like $52,717.08 on food and groceries for crewmembers, $277,200 for fuel, $1,000 on iPhone 11s for the bridge captains, and $1,216.24 for special toilet brushes, among other expenses uncovered by The Washington Post, which sued the federal government to release information about the seizure.
Authorities believe the yacht, which has a pool, wine cellar, and outdoor cinema, belongs to Russian billionaire Suleyman Kerimov, who was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury in 2018 and has been accused of money laundering.
Kerimov, a trained economist and representative of the republic of Dagestan in Russia’s Federation Council, made a fortune investing in Russian gold mining firm Polyus. He and his family are worth more than $10 billion, according to Forbes.
The federal government has accused Kerimov of using bank accounts to disguise his ownership of the yacht, a sanctions violation, prompting them to seize the luxury cruiser when it docked in Fiji in May 2022 as part of the Biden administration’s larger attempts to crack down on Russian oligarchs in response to the invasion of Ukraine.
Another Russian billionaire, Eduard Khudainatov, claims he is actually the owner of the Amadea, which reportedly turned off its automated information system the day Russia invaded Ukraine.
Under federal law, U.S. authorities can’t liquidate seized assets valued over $500,000 without a court’s permission.
In the meantime, crews have been working continuously to maintain the ship, which is docked in San Diego, in its present status, in the event it must be returned to its original owner.
Authorities celebrated the seizure of the Amadea at the time as a major victory.
Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement after the seizure that it "should make clear that there is no hiding place for the assets of individuals who violate U.S. laws. And there is no hiding place for the assets of criminals who enable the Russian regime.”
Critics are now pushing for reform that would speed up the liquidation process.
“The problem is we’ve been treating Russian oligarchs with massive assets better than we’ve been treating our own American citizens,” Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island told the Post. “That simply makes no sense.”
