Seizing Russian yachts is US goal. But it’s not easy

In a far-flung conflict where President Biden has pledged to refrain from military intervention, the U.S. has largely turned to financial sanctions to exact punishment on Russia.

 

Those efforts have been centered on some of the wealthiest Russians with ties to Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin – a group whose connections have led to fortune and an opulent lifestyle directly targeted by Biden.

 

“We are joining with our European allies to find and seize your yachts, your luxury apartments, your private jets. We are coming for your ill-begotten gains,” Biden said during his State of the Union address.

 

The Department of Justice the next day announced its KleptoCapture task force to do just that.

 

But experts say the task force may not be able to immediately deliver the wins – and the seizures – lawmakers are eager for.