Superyacht Allegedly Owned by Sanctioned Russian Lands in San Diego Amid Fiji Court Battle
A $325 million superyacht allegedly owned by Russian billionaire Suleiman Kerimov and seized by U.S. authorities in Fiji has docked in San Diego after a legal battle in the Asia-Pacific island, Bloomberg reported June 28. The Amadea arrived in San Diego June 27 after a few days in Honolulu. The U.S. hired a new crew in Fiji to sail the ship, leaving the island June 7.
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In May, Fiji's High Court gave an initial order allowing the U.S. and local authorities to seize the superyacht that the U.S. claimed was owned by Kerimov (see 2205030005). The yacht's registered owner, Millemarin Investments, said the ship belongs to a different Russian businessman, Eduard Khudainatov, former chairman and CEO of Russian oil and gas company Rosneft Oil. Khudainatov isn't on sanctions lists. Millemarin lost an initial appeal May 27, after the Court of Appeal dismissed the case over the registration of the U.S. warrant to seize the yacht.
Millemarin filed another appeal, leading to the U.S. transporting the ship to California. According to court documents, the U.S. has spent a number of resources securing the yacht, including sending officials to Fiji from the U.S. Marshals Service, the FBI and the U.S. Coast Guard, Bloomberg reported. Maritime analysts say the legal battles will continue for some time as the U.S. faces rounds of court fights over every seized yacht's true ownership, Bloomberg said.
With the ship in the U.S., the government is responsible for its upkeep, which the FBI estimates will cost $25 million to $30 million annually, Bloomberg said, citing court documents in Fiji. President Joe Biden has forwarded legislation that would allow the U.S. to liquidate assets such as the superyacht and send the proceeds to Ukraine.