Superyacht reportedly owned by Russian oligarch arrives in Honolulu after being seized

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - A massive luxury yacht reportedly belonging to a Russian oligarch docked in Honolulu on Thursday. It’s one of the several yachts seized by the U.S. Department of Justice because of their owners’ ties to Russia.

Tug boats met the yacht at sea about 10 a.m. and guided it into Honolulu Harbor.

The 348-foot luxury yacht, the Amadea, made a U-turn inside Honolulu Harbor and then docked at Pier 2. Federal agents with the FBI and U.S. Marshals Service were on board the vessel, which reportedly belongs to oligarch Soleiman Kerimov.

The yacht was seized in Fiji last month.

At a news conference last month, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland pledged to go after oligarchs’ assets amid the ongoing Russian attack on Ukraine. “It doesn’t matter how far you sail your yacht or how well you conceal your assets, the Justice Department will use every tool and find you and hold you accountable,” he said.

Fijian law enforcement and the FBI took control of the yacht last month. It’s valued at more than $300 million.

Kerimov himself is worth an estimated $14 billion.

He was sanctioned by the U.S. for alleged money laundering in 2018.

About a half dozen super vessels have been seized so far as part of an international campaign to pressure those aligned with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“The Justice Department will be relentless to hold accountable those who facilitate the death and destruction we are witnessing in Ukraine,” Garland said.

Special features on the sprawling yacht include a helipad, multiple pools and bars.

The Amadea left Fiji on June 7. Its journey was delayed because of disagreements between the US and the crew and contractors. The vessel is set to head out to California on Friday.

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