Ernst, Blumenthal Target Russian Ghost Ships Evading U.S. Sanctions
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) are introducing the bipartisan Global Hunt for Offshore Smuggling and Trafficking (GHOST) Act to strengthen enforcement of U.S. sanctions against Russia.
Currently, Russia is using a "ghost fleet” of unmarked ships to transport 70% of its seaborn oil exports and illicitly fund its economy. Iran has worked through similar actions to smuggle Russian and its own sanctioned oil throughout the world, including to China. This bipartisan action would expand U.S. efforts to disrupt illicit trade networks that are allowing Russia and Iran to evade sanctions.
“Russia is continuing its malign actions by operating a ‘ghost fleet’ to evade U.S. sanctions, enrich its own war machine, and even aid Iranian oil smuggling,” said Ernst. “By enhancing intelligence sharing and equipping law enforcement with the tools needed to go after illicit trade networks, I am working to halt the Axis of Evil in its tracks. In addition to disrupting Moscow’s efforts to undermine U.S. law, this bill will also arm our nation to utilize the seized assets and pay down our own debt.”
“Urgent action is imperative to crack down on Russia’s ghost fleet—a Putin tool financing his bloody assault on Ukraine,” said Blumenthal. “Our bipartisan legislation aims to help halt Putin’s illicit networks—unmarked shadow ships carrying Russia’s oil and other products—that evade sanctions and support his war. This measure will give our export controls real bite.”
Specifically, the GHOST Act:
- Equips law enforcement with the means to seize and forfeit Russian assets,
- Targets merchant ships violating U.S. sanctions,
- Enhances intelligence sharing to counter illicit Russian trade networks,
- Ensures interagency coordination by codifying the Export Enforcement Coordination Center, and
- Redirects seized Russian assets toward reducing U.S. debt.
Click here to view the bill.
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