Press Releases Archive

Fijian law enforcement executed a seizure warrant freezing the Motor Yacht Amadea (the Amadea), a 348-foot luxury vessel owned by sanctioned Russian oligarch Suleiman Kerimov.

Today, as part of the President’s supplemental budget request to support Ukraine, the Administration will send a package of proposals to Congress that would enhance the Justice Department’s ability to hold the Kremlin and Russian oligarchs accountable for the ongoing invasion of Ukraine. 

Spanish law enforcement today executed a Spanish court order freezing the Motor Yacht (M/Y) Tango (the Tango), a 255-foot luxury yacht owned by sanctioned Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg. Spanish authorities acted pursuant to a request from the U.S. Department of Justice for assistance following the issuance of a seizure warrant, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, which alleged that the Tango was subject to forfeiture based on violation of U.S. bank fraud, money laundering, and sanction statutes. Separately, seizure warrants obtained in the U.S. District Court

Following the launch meeting of the Russian Elites, Proxies, and Oligarchs (REPO) Task Force, the members from participating countries released the following joint statement:

Attorney General Sessions today issued a memorandum to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, directing him to hire a Director of Asset Forfeiture Accountability (“Director”).

Attorney General Jeff Sessions today announced a new Department of Justice policy (attached) regarding the federal adoption of assets seized by state or local law enforcement under state law.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions today issued the attached memo to 94 U.S. Attorney’s Offices and Department of Justice component heads providing an update on the Department’s Task Force on Crime Reduction and Public Safety.

Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch announced today the filing of civil forfeiture complaints seeking the forfeiture and recovery of more than $1 billion in assets associated with an international conspiracy to launder funds misappropriated from a Malaysian sovereign wealth fund. Today’s complaints represent the largest single action ever brought under the Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative.