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OFAC adds Syrians to Specially Designated Nationals List
On September 6, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) added five entities and four individuals to OFAC’s Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List for facilitating financial transactions and shipments of fuel and weapons in support of the Syrian government’s regime. The new sanctions, issued pursuant to Executive Order 13582, generally prohibit transactions by U.S. persons with those listed, and all assets belonging to the designated persons subject to U.S. jurisdiction are blocked and must be reported to OFAC.
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OFAC, France announce coordinated action against global procurement network supporting Syria’s chemical weapons program
On July 25, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) added five entities and eight individuals to OFAC’s Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List for their ties to a procurement network providing support to Syria’s chemical weapons program. OFAC acted in coordination with the French government and pursuant to Executive Order 13382, which targets proliferators of weapons of mass destruction and their supporters. As a result, all assets belonging to the identified individuals and entities subject to U.S. jurisdiction are blocked, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from entering into transactions with them.
Visit here for continuing InfoBytes coverage on Syrian sanctions.
OFAC sanctions Russian oligarchs and government officials; releases new general licenses and updated FAQs
On April 6, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced its decision to sanction seven Russian oligarchs along with 12 companies they own or control, 17 senior Russian government officials, and a state-owned Russian weapons trading company and its Russian bank subsidiary, pursuant to the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act of 2017 (CAATSA) and Executive Orders 13661, 13662, and 13582. In a foreign policy statement released the same day, President Trump explained that the identified persons placed on the Specially Designated Nationals (SDNs) and Blocked Persons List engaged in actions that have reportedly contributed to “advancing Russia’s malign activities,” including (i) profiting from “Russia's destabilizing activities”; (ii) election meddling; (iii) undermining U.S. cybersecurity; (iv) engaging in weapons proliferation; (v) continuing to occupy Crimea; (vi) instigating violence in eastern Ukraine; and (vii) providing military equipment and support for the Government of Syria's continued attacks against Syrian citizens. Pursuant to OFAC’s sanctions, all property or interests in property of the designated persons along with any other entity owned 50 percent or more by one or more designated persons that is within U.S. jurisdiction are blocked, and U.S. persons are “generally prohibited” from participating in transactions with these individuals and entities. Additionally, “non-U.S. persons could face sanctions for knowingly facilitating significant transactions for or on behalf of the individuals or entities blocked today.”
The same day, OFAC issued two Ukraine-/Russia-related general licenses to “minimize immediate disruptions to U.S. persons, partners, and allies.” General License 12 authorizes through June 5 certain activities necessary to “wind down” operations, contracts, or agreements in effect prior to April 6 involving specified blocked persons. General License 13 authorizes through May 7 divestiture transactions with certain blocked persons to a non-U.S. person, as well as the facilitation of transfers of debt, equity, or other holdings involving listed blocked persons by a non-U.S. person to another non-U.S. person. OFAC also released eight new FAQs related to this action and published one updated FAQ related to CAATSA.
Visit here for additional InfoBytes coverage on Ukraine/Russian sanctions.
OFAC Updates: New Sanction Designations and Additions to Specially Designated Nationals List
In May, OFAC announced implementation of sanctions against several entities and individuals designated for, among others, materially assisting, sponsoring, or providing financial support to certain foreign entities. In addition, OFAC updated its list of Specially Designated Nationals.
Pakistan-Based ISIS Financial Facilitators. On May 11, OFAC imposed sanctions against three Pakistani individuals and one entity for their roles in assisting ISIS’s financial networks and their “connections with terrorist groups that are a direct threat to the security of both the [U.S.] and Pakistan.” The designations block the individuals and entity—each of whom has been designated as providing the identified networks with material and financial support—from participating in the global financial system, and further state that “all property and interests in property . . . subject to U.S. jurisdiction are blocked, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with” those listed.
Syrian Government Supporters. On May 16, OFAC announced it was taking action against five individuals and five entities in response to the Syrian Government’s continued acts of violence committed against its own citizens. The sanctions came as a reaction to three Executive Orders: (i) E.O. 13572—targeting persons responsible for human rights abuses in Syria, their supporters, and supporters of senior officials or certain activities related to public corruption; (ii) E.O. 13582—targeting the Government of Syria and its supporters; and (iii) E.O. 13382—targeting proliferators of weapons of mass destruction and their supporters. The new sanctions prohibit transactions by U.S. persons with those listed and “any property or interest in property of the identified persons in the possession or control of U.S. persons or within the United States must be blocked.”
Yemen-Based Financial Facilitators and Arms Trafficker. On May 19, OFAC imposed sanctions against two Yemen-based financial facilitators for their roles in assisting al-Qa’ida leaders in the Arabian Peninsula. The designations block the individuals, both of whom were designated as engaging in actions through weapon trafficking, from the global financial system, and further state that “all property and interests in property . . . subject to U.S. jurisdiction are blocked, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with” the identified individuals.
Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Sanctions. On May 19, OFAC made additions to the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list, which designates individuals and companies who are prohibited from dealing with the U.S. and whose assets are blocked. Transactions are prohibited if they involve transferring, paying, exporting, or otherwise dealing in the property or interest in property of an entity or individual on the SDN list. Additions to the list were made under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Sanctions Regulations against two two Peruvian individuals and three Peruvian entities.
OFAC Updates: New Sanction Designations and Additions to Specially Designated Nationals List
In April, OFAC announced implementation of three new sanctions against several entities and individuals designated for, among others, materially assisting, sponsoring, or providing financial support to certain foreign entities. In addition, OFAC updated its list of Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) and Blocked Persons.
Libya-Based ISIS Financial Facilitators / Algerian ISIS Supporter and Arms Trafficker. On April 13, OFAC imposed sanctions against certain Libyan and Algerian financial facilitators for their roles in assisting ISIS’s financial operations in Libya. The designations block the individuals, one of whom was designated as engaging in actions through weapon trafficking, from the global financial system, and further state that “all property and interests in property . . . subject to U.S. jurisdiction are blocked, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with” the identified individuals.
Syrian “Research Center” Accused of Developing Weapons. On April 24, OFAC announced it was taking action against 271 employees of a Syrian research center for “developing and producing non-conventional weapons and the means to deliver them.” The sanctions came as a reaction to the widely- reported April 4 sarin gas attack against civilians, and followed sanctions announced January 12 against 18 officials, five branches of the Syrian military, and associated entities for their participation in a chemical weapons program responsible for attacks in 2014 and 2015. The 271 named individuals are “designated for materially assisting, sponsoring, or providing financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services in support of, and having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, the Government of Syria.” The new sanctions block U.S. persons from dealing with these employees.
Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Sanctions. OFAC made additions to the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list, which designates individuals and companies who are prohibited from dealing with the U.S. and whose assets are blocked. Transactions are prohibited if they involve transferring, paying, exporting, or otherwise deal in the property or interest in property of an entity or individual on the SDN list. Additions to the list include Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Sanctions Regulations against two Mexican entities, and Global Terrorism Sanctions Regulations against a Saudi individual.
House Terror Financing Task Force Releases Results of Two-Year Investigation
On December 20, the House Financial Services Committee’s Task Force to Investigate Terrorism Financing announced the release of a report detailing the results of its two-year investigation into terror financing. The report, entitled Stopping Terror Finance: Securing the U.S. Financial Sector, is intended to “serve as a useful summary of the key points illuminated by Task Force hearings regarding the terrorist financing threat, the necessary components of an effective strategy to address such financing activity, and current efforts to combat it.
Among other things, the Task Force took a more granular look at some less well-publicized terrorist financing methodologies, including: (i) the use of trade-based money laundering; (ii) the use of individual and corporate charitable foundations; (iii) the plundering of arts and antiquities by terrorists, especially by Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS); and even (iv) drug trafficking.
Moreover, as explained by Task Force Chairman Mike Fitzpatrick (R-Penn), the task force “discovered highly critical vulnerabilities” for which it presented several recommendations and called for further Congressional attention. Among other things, the report highlighted a need for:
- Better interagency coordination and resource allocation;
- Better use of and access to information that can identify illicit finance;
- Adding more overseas Treasury attachés;
- Continued attention to helping developing countries fight illicit finance;
- A greater domestic and international focus on stopping trade-based money laundering;
- Development of a harmonized regulatory and examination procedure for nonbank financial institutions – primarily money service businesses (MSB) but also emerging value transfer technologies – to squeeze out illicit finance and provide banks the comfort necessary for them to again widely offer MSB retail account services;
- Development of a whole-of-government strategy to combat terror finance and other forms of financial crimes; Beneficial ownership of corporate entities; and
- Re-animation of the interagency Terrorist Financing Working Group.
Notably, members of the Task Force have already introduced several bipartisan bills aimed at addressing some of the concerns identified in the report, including:
- H.R. 5594, the “National Strategy for Combating Terrorists, Underground, and Other Illicit Financing Act,” which passed the House on July 11, 2016 by voice vote, and requires the President, acting through the Treasury Secretary, to develop and publish an annual whole-of-government strategy to combat money laundering and terrorist financing.
- H.R. 5602, which passed the House on July 11, 2016 by a vote of 356-47, requiring more detailed information to be reported to the Treasury regarding certain types of transactions in a specific area for a limited amount of time.
- H.R. 5607, the “Enhancing Treasury’s Anti-Terror Tools Act,” which passed the House on July 11, 2016 by a vote of 362-45, enhancing Treasury’s anti-illicit finance tools by addressing issues that came up repeatedly in Task Force Hearings.
- H.R. 5603, the “Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Act,” which is sponsored by Ranking Member Stephen Lynch (D-MA), and seeks to establish a reward program aimed at helping the U.S. identify, freeze, and, if appropriate, repatriate assets linked to foreign government corruption, which is often an enabler of terrorism.
- H.R. 5606, the “Anti-Terrorism Information Sharing Is Truth Act,” which is sponsored by Task Force Vice Chairman Pittenger (R-NC) and which seeks to refine “safe harbors” for the sharing of anti-terror information, reaffirming Congressional intent in existing statute to encourage government sharing of terror methodologies with banks to help them better recognize such activity.
OFAC Fines Commodity Trading Advisor for Apparent Sanctions Violations
On September 9, OFAC released an enforcement action against a CFTC-registered Introducing Broker and Commodity Trading Advisor that operates an electronic trading platform that allows customers to automatically place currency foreign exchange (FX) trades with broker-dealers. The company agreed to pay $200,000 to settle potential civil liability for apparent violations of Iran, Syria, and Sudan sanctions rules. According to OFAC, over “a number of years” the company maintained accounts for over 400 persons in Iran, Sudan, and Syria, and exported services to these customers by placing FX trades via its platform. The company also (i) originated eight funds transfers totaling $10,264.36 destined for two individuals located in Iran; and (ii) failed to screen or otherwise monitor its customer base for OFAC compliance purposes at the time of the apparent violations. OFAC determined that the company did not voluntarily self-disclose the apparent violations, and that the apparent violations constitute a non-egregious case. The base penalty for the apparent violations was $844,090,000. The lower settlement amount reflects OFAC’s consideration of the matter’s facts and circumstances, including the following mitigating factors: (i) the company is small with limited business operations; (ii) the company has taken remedial action in response to the apparent violations; (iii) the company has not received a penalty notice or Finding of Violation in the five years preceding the earliest date of the transactions giving rise to the apparent violations; and (iv) the company substantially cooperated with OFAC’s investigation.
Multinational Oil Services Company Resolves FCPA, Sanctions, And Export Control Matter
On November 26, the DOJ announced that Weatherford International—a multinational oil services company—and certain of its subsidiaries agreed to pay approximately $250 million in fines and penalties to resolve FCPA, sanctions, and export control violations. The DOJ alleged in a criminal information that the company knowingly failed to establish an effective system of internal accounting controls designed to detect and prevent corruption, including FCPA violations. The alleged compliance failures allowed employees of certain of the company’s subsidiaries in Africa and the Middle East to engage in prohibited conduct over the course of many years, including both bribery of foreign officials and fraudulent misuse of the United Nations’ Oil for Food Program. The company entered into a deferred prosecution agreement, pursuant to which it must pay an approximately $87 million penalty, retain an independent corporate compliance monitor for at least 18 months, and continue to implement an enhanced FCPA compliance program and internal controls. The subsidiaries pleaded guilty to related specific acts of corruption, including those alleged in a separate criminal information. The DOJ alleged, among other things, that employees of certain subsidiaries engaged in at least three schemes to pay bribes to foreign officials in exchange for government contracts. In addition the parent company agreed to pay over $65 million and submit to compliance and monitoring requirements to resolve parallel SEC civil allegations that the company violated the anti-bribery, books and records, and internal accounting controls provisions of the FCPA.
Separately, the parent company entered into an agreement with the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and a deferred prosecution agreement with the DOJ, as well as an agreement with the Department of Commerce, to resolve alleged sanctions and export controls violations. Collectively, those agreements require the company to, among other things, pay $100 million in penalties and fines—inclusive of a $91 million settlement with OFAC—and undergo external audits of its efforts to comply with the relevant U.S. sanctions law for calendar years 2012, 2013, and 2014. Those payments resolve allegations, described in part in another DOJ criminal information, that the company and certain subsidiaries exported or re-exported oil and gas drilling equipment to, and conducted business operations in, sanctioned countries—including Cuba, Iran, Sudan, and Syria—without the required U.S. Government authorization.