Three Russian diesel tankers, including sanctioned vessels, close in on US ports as Trump's Putin deal sparks a legal showdown
From the Newshound archive · first published 27 October 2026 · last updated 28 October 2026.
Three tankers carrying approximately 140,000 tonnes of Russian diesel are heading toward American ports under Trump's arrangement with Putin. The lead vessel, the Agioi Fanendes, is due in New York on 7 November — four days after the midterm elections. A bipartisan coalition of senators and representatives wrote to major banks and port authorities on October 24, urging them to preserve all records connected to Russian diesel transactions, a move that signals potential congressional investigations and legal consequences.
One vessel, the Sierra Leone-flagged Leruo, is already subject to EU, UK and Canadian sanctions for carrying Russian cargo and disabling its location tracker.
Rep. Jamie Raskin has warned importers of Russian diesel they could face up to 20 years in prison, even as the US Treasury maintains the arrangement is legal.
JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Citigroup, Wells Fargo, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley are among the institutions told to refrain from financing or facilitating the shipments.