Overview

• Nikolai Vilka allegedly stole a $2.5 million luxury yacht from Blowing Rocks Marina in Florida on May 5, following the earlier theft of a tow boat that ran aground.
• Law enforcement executed a coordinated pursuit along the Intracoastal Waterway, ultimately forcing the yacht into mangroves to apprehend Vilka.
• Vilka, who does not speak English, required a Russian interpreter and is being held without bond on charges including grand theft, aggravated fleeing, and resisting arrest, with more charges expected.
• Authorities are investigating Vilka's potential motives, including theories of smuggling plans to the Bahamas, and how he operated such a complex vessel.
• Federal records show Vilka entered the U.S. after traveling from Turkey to Mexico in late 2022, with his wife and child later returning to Russia in 2024.