Russian superyacht seized by US arrives at destination

A $325 million superyacht seized by the United States from a sanctioned Russian oligarch arrived in San Diego Bay on Monday.

The 106-metre-long Amadea flew an American flag as it sailed past the retired aircraft carrier USS Midway and under the Coronado Bridge.

The Department of Justice said the Amadea was safely docked after a transpacific journey of more than 8,047 kilometres “and will remain in the custody of the US government, pending its anticipated forfeiture and sale".

The super yacht Amadea passes San Diego as it comes into the San Diego Bay Monday, June 27, 2022, seen from Coronado, Calif. The $325 million superyacht seized by the United States from a sanctioned Russian oligarch arrived in San Diego Bay on Monday. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)Alt

The FBI linked the Amadea to the Russian oligarch Suleiman Kerimov, and the vessel became a target of Task Force KleptoCapture, launched in March to seize the assets of Russian oligarchs to put pressure on Russia to end the war in Ukraine.

The US said Kerimov secretly bought the vessel last year through various shell companies.

People look on from the super yacht Amadea as it arrives to the San Diego Bay Monday, June 27, 2022, seen from Coronado, Calif. The $325 million superyacht seized by the United States from a sanctioned Russian oligarch arrived in San Diego Bay on Monday. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

The US won a legal battle in Fiji to take the Cayman Islands-flagged superyacht earlier this month.

The Amadea made a stop in Honolulu Harbor en route to the US mainland.

“The successful seizure and transport of Amadea would not have been possible without extraordinary cooperation from our foreign partners in the global effort to enforce US sanctions imposed in response to Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified war in Ukraine,” the Justice Department said.