The mega yacht Tango has been seized by American and Spanish authorities. The yacht is owned by Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg, a close associate of Vladimir Putin. The $90 million yacht was undergoing repairs in the Spanish port Palma de Mallorca.

NEW: The U.S. has seized a yacht in Spain belonging to Viktor Vekselberg, an oligarch with close ties to Putin, the first in the government’s sanctions enforcement initiative to “seize and freeze” giant boats and other pricey assets of Russian elites. https://t.co/SlFVxzGDOR pic.twitter.com/BTlMCDkRgX

— Mike Balsamo (@MikeBalsamo1) April 4, 2022

Video of the seizure was provided by the U.S. Department of Justice:

CBS News writes:

The warrant and subsequent raid targeted Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg, who was sanctioned by the U.S. government in 2018 and again last month following Russia’s deadly invasion of Ukraine. The financial penalties blocked the billionaire from participating in the U.S. economy and prevented him from utilizing American banks to conduct business transactions. 

According to the Justice Department’s warrant, dating as far back as 2011, Vekselberg and other unnamed conspirators attempted to avoid detection in the U.S. by paying for the yacht through shell companies and other money laundering techniques. 

CBS News

The yacht is subject to forfeiture based on violation of bank fraud, money laundering, and sanction statutes.