US seizes yacht owned by oligarch with close ties to Putin

By FRANCISCO UBILLA, ARITZ PARRA and MICHAEL BALSAMO
Associated Press

PALMA DE MALLORCA, Spain (AP) — The U.S. government seized a mega yacht in Spain owned by an oligarch with close ties to the Russian president. The capture of the yacht on Monday is the first in the government’s sanctions enforcement initiative to “seize and freeze” giant boats and other pricey assets of Russian elites. The law enforcement officers descended on the yacht Monday morning at the Marina Real in the port of Palma de Mallorca. Associated Press reporters at the scene saw police going in and out of the boat. The U.S. Justice Department and the Treasury Department have launched sanctions enforcement initiatives to “seize and freeze” giant boats and other pricey assets of Russian elites after Russia invaded Ukraine in late February.