Port Of New Orleans Seeks Seizure Of Tanker That Capsized Cruise Ship, Sues For $1 Million

Port of New Orleans has filed a federal lawsuit seeking more than $1 million in damages from the owner and manager of the tanker Atlantic Asphalt, which struck and capsized a docked river cruise ship on the Mississippi River on November 13, 2026.

The port’s Board of Commissioners filed the complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana late on the same day as the collision.

A judge granted the port’s emergency request and issued a warrant for the seizure of the tanker. The warrant gives federal officials control of the vessel for now, and the port has asked for the ship to be sold to cover its claims.

The lawsuit names the tanker, its owner Nave Shipping SA and its manager Thome Ship Management Pte Ltd as defendants. It alleges that the collision was caused by their negligence, gross negligence, fault or carelessness.

According to the complaint, the defendants did not take proper precautions to prevent the collision. The port claims it bears no responsibility for the crash.

The collision caused extensive damage to the Thalia Street Terminal, where the cruise ship was docked, and repairs are expected to cost more than $1 million. The Port of New Orleans is also seeking cleanup and inspection costs, along with any losses from business interruption.

Nave Shipping SA is registered in Monrovia, Liberia, according to the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The company is reportedly a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation, a Chinese state-owned conglomerate.

The 160-metre Marshall Islands-flagged tanker was built in 2017 and specialises in carrying asphalt and bitumen. Its manager said in a statement that the vessel was stable at anchor and that it was cooperating with the authorities investigating the collision.

The tanker appeared to lose steering before it hit the American Heritage, which rolled onto its side and partially sank. All 197 passengers and crew on the riverboat survived, and 32 people were taken to hospitals with injuries that were not critical.

The tanker has since been towed away from the site. Moving the capsized riverboat could take weeks, as about 16,000 gallons of fuel must first be removed from it safely.

Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are collecting evidence at the scene and plan to interview crew members in the coming days.

References: Associated Press (via PBS), Fox Business, UPI, CNN