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OFAC sanctions Mexican nationals
On October 6, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act against four individuals who are allegedly senior members of a Mexican-based drug cartel, which is said to be responsible for trafficking deadly drugs into the U.S. As a result of the sanctions, all property and interests in property subject to U.S. jurisdiction that belong to the sanctioned persons must be blocked and reported to OFAC. U.S. persons are also generally prohibited from engaging in any dealings involving the property or interests in property of blocked or designated persons. OFAC further notes that the designations against the individuals were made in collaboration with the Drug Enforcement Administration and Mexico’s Financial Intelligence Unit.
OFAC sanctions individual and entity connected to international terrorism
On September 29, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions in coordinated efforts with the Government of Qatar, pursuant to Executive Order 13224, as amended, against seven individuals and one entity connected to a major Hizballah financial network based in the Arabian Peninsula. According to OFAC, three of the individuals are designated as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs) “for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, Hizballah.” Four additional individuals have been designated as SDGTs “for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of,” one of the three individuals designated as SDGTs above. One entity is also being designated “for being owned, controlled, or directed by, directly or indirectly,” one of the individuals designated as SDGTs. As a result, all property and interests in property belonging to the designated persons subject to U.S. jurisdiction are blocked, and any “entities that are owned, directly or indirectly 50 percent or more by them, individually, or with other blocked persons, that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons must be blocked.” OFAC warned that the agency “can prohibit or impose strict conditions on the opening or maintaining in the United States of a correspondent account or a payable-through account by a foreign financial institution that either knowingly conducts or facilitates any significant transactions on behalf of a SGDT, or that, among other things, knowingly facilitates a significant transaction for Hizballah or certain persons designated for their connection to Hizballah.” OFAC’s announcement further noted that that “[e]ngaging in certain transactions with the individuals and entity designated today entails risk of secondary sanctions pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended.”
OFAC sanctions Mexican national
On September 22, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act against a Mexican-based cartel boss. OFAC noted that the designated individual allegedly oversaw a drug trafficking corridor and is allegedly responsible for smuggling drugs in the U.S. OFAC also designated seven other Mexican nationals and two Mexican entities. As a result of the sanctions, all property and interests in property belonging to the sanctioned persons subject to U.S. jurisdiction are blocked and must be reported to OFAC. U.S. persons are also generally prohibited from engaging in any dealings involving the property or interests in property of blocked or designated persons.
OFAC sanctions entities connected to international terrorism
On September 17, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions pursuant to Executive Order 13224 against members of Lebanon- and Kuwait-based financial conduits that fund Hizballah. In addition, OFAC designated members of an international network of financial facilitators and front companies connected to Hizballah and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF). Together, these networks allegedly “laundered tens of millions of dollars through regional financial systems and conducted currency exchanges and trades” for the benefit of both entities. According to OFAC, Hizballah, supported by the IRGC-QF, utilized the revenues from these networks to fund terrorism, and condoned instability throughout the region. As a result, all property and interests in property belonging to the designated persons subject to U.S. jurisdiction are blocked, and any “entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, 50 percent or more by them, individually, or with other blocked persons, that are in the United States or in control of a U.S. person must be blocked.” U.S. persons are “generally prohibited from engaging in transactions” with the designated members. OFAC further warned that the agency “can prohibit or impose strict conditions on the opening or maintaining in the United States of a correspondent account or a payable-through account by a foreign financial institution that either knowingly conducted or facilitated any significant transaction on behalf of a Specially Designated Global Terrorist or, among other things, knowingly facilitates a significant transaction for Hizballah or certain persons designated for their connection to Hizballah.”
OFAC sanctions individuals in Turkey
On September 16, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions pursuant to Executive Order 13224, as amended, against five individuals for allegedly providing “a range of financial and travel facilitation services” for a terrorist organization in Turkey. According to OFAC, the individuals are designated “for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, [the terrorist organization].” As a result of the sanctions, all property and interests in property belonging to the sanctioned persons are blocked. OFAC’s announcement further noted that OFAC regulations generally prohibit U.S. persons from participating in transactions with designated persons, adding that “[e]ngaging in certain transactions with the individuals designated today entails risk of secondary sanctions pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended.”
OFAC sanctions Columbian drug trafficker
On September 16, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act against a leader of a Columbia-based international drug trafficking organization. OFAC noted that the designated individual “strategically located maritime corridors in northern Colombia and collects a per kilogram tax from narcotics traffickers for protection and safe passage of multi-ton shipments of narcotics through the [organization’s] area of control.” OFAC also designated three individuals and two entities closely related to the organization’s leader for providing material support to the narcotics trafficking activities. As a result of the sanctions, all property and interests in property belonging to the sanctioned individual subject to U.S. jurisdiction are blocked and must be reported to OFAC. U.S. persons are also generally prohibited from engaging in any dealings involving the property or interests in property of blocked or designated persons.
OFAC sanctions Iranian officials in plot to kidnap American citizen in the U.S.
On September 3, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions pursuant to Executive Order 13553 against four Iranian intelligence operatives who allegedly targeted a U.S. citizen and Iranian dissidents in a wide-ranging campaign to silence critics of the Iranian government. According to OFAC, a senior official led a network that plotted to kidnap a U.S. journalist, which failed and led to the indictment of members of the network. OFAC also noted that this network has played a key role in the Iranian government’s brutal human rights abuses against Iranians. As a result of the sanctions, “all property and interests in property of these persons that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons must be blocked and reported to OFAC.” OFAC further noted that its regulations “generally prohibit all dealings by U.S. persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of blocked or designated persons,” and warned foreign financial institutions that knowingly facilitating significant transactions or providing significant financial services to the designated individuals may subject them to U.S. correspondent account or payable-through sanctions.
OFAC sanctions Paraguayan official
On August 24, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions pursuant to Executive Order 13818 against three Paraguayan individuals and five entities under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act. According to OFAC, the designations highlight the financial risks and activities where Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay converge, which is marked by many unregistered money exchange houses, trade based money laundering, and a lack of awareness regarding money laundering and terrorist financing typologies, among other things. As a result of the sanctions, all property and interests in property belonging to the sanctioned persons, and “any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, 50 percent or more” by them that are subject to U.S. jurisdiction are blocked and must be reported to OFAC. OFAC notes that its regulations generally prohibit U.S. persons from participating in transactions with these individual and entities, which include “the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any blocked person or the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person.”
OFAC sanctions Eritrean official
On August 23, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions pursuant to Executive Order 13818 against an Eritrean individual under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act. According to OFAC, the sanctioned individual is the leader or official of an entity that is involved in human rights abuse committed during the continuing conflict in Tigray. As a result of the sanctions, all transactions by U.S. persons or in the U.S. that involve any property or interests in property of designated or otherwise blocked persons are generally prohibited. OFAC notes that its regulations generally prohibit U.S. persons from participating in transactions with these persons, which include “the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any blocked person or the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods or services from any such person.”
OFAC sanctions Russian officials
On August 20, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the Department of State joined the United Kingdom in announcing sanctions pursuant to Executive Order 13382 against nine Russian individuals and two Russian entities in connection with poisoning or Russia’s chemical weapons program under a Russian opposition leader. According to OFAC, this is the third time Treasury has used discretionary authority to respond to Russia’s use of a chemical agent against its own citizens (covered by InfoBytes here). The Department of State also designated several entities and persons pursuant to E.O. 13382 for “having engaged, or attempted to engage, in activities or transactions that have materially contributed to, or pose a risk of materially contributing to, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction or their means of delivery” by Russia. As a result of the sanctions, all of the property and interests in property of the designated persons that are in the U.S. or in the possession or control of U.S. persons, as well as any entities that are owned 50 percent or more by the designated persons, are blocked and must be reported to OFAC. Additionally, OFAC regulations generally prohibit U.S. persons from participating in transactions with the designated persons unless exempt or otherwise authorized by an OFAC general or specific license. OFAC further warned that “any foreign person who knowingly facilitates a significant transaction or transactions for or on behalf of one of these persons risks being sanctioned.”