InfoBytes Blog
OFAC sanctions additional entities and vessels operating in Venezuela’s oil sector
On September 24, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions pursuant to Executive Order 13850 against four entities for their alleged involvement in the transportation of oil from Venezuela to Cuba. According to OFAC, the entities’ actions offer support to the Maduro regime and “enable its repressive security and intelligence apparatus.” In addition, OFAC identified four vessels as blocked property owned by the identified entities. As a result of the sanctions, “all property and interests in property of these entities, and of any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, 50 percent or more by the designated entities, that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC.” OFAC notes that its regulations “generally prohibit” U.S. persons from participating in transactions with blocked or designated persons.
Additionally, the announcement notes that OFAC is delisting two entities in recognition of their actions to ensure that their vessels are not complicit in supporting the Maduro regime. As a result of the delisting, all property and interest of the entities are now unblocked and lawful transactions involving U.S. persons are no longer prohibited.
Since OFAC’s designation of Venezuela’s state-owned oil company last January, the department has sanctioned several entities and individuals connected to Venezuela’s oil sector. Continuing InfoBytes coverage on these actions can be found here.