The Office of Foreign Assets Control on Aug. 7 sanctioned Bi Sidi Souleymane, leader of the Central African Republic militia group Return, Reclamation, Rehabilitation (3R). OFAC said Souleymane was involved in killings, torture and the displacement of thousands of people. The move came days after the United Nations Security Council sanctioned Souleymane (also spelled Souleman and Soulemane) (see 2008060019).

The Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned three people, one entity and one vessel for using Libya to smuggle fuel and illegal drugs, OFAC said Aug. 6. The designations target Libyan national Faysal al-Wadi, his vessel Maraya, his two associates Musbah Mohamad Wadi and Nourddin Milood Musbah, and the Malta-based company Alwefaq Ltd.

The United Nations Security Council sanctioned the leader of a Central African Republic militia group, the UNSC said in an Aug. 5 notice. The designation targets Bi Sidi Souleman (also spelled Soulemane), who leads the group Retour, Reclamation, Rehabilitation, which is involved in warfare and illegal arms trafficking. The United Kingdom’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation sanctioned Souleman Aug. 6.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned Zimbabwean businessman Kudakwashe Regimond Tagwirei and his company, Sakunda Holdings, for supporting Zimbabwe’s government, OFAC said Aug. 5. OFAC said Tagwirei used his relationship with government officials to secure state contracts and “receive favored access to hard currency,” earning millions of U.S. dollars.

The United Kingdom’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation amended an entry under its terrorism sanctions, according to an Aug. 5 notice. The change adds and deletes identifying information for Qasem Soleimani, the deceased former commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The United Kingdom’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation corrected 26 entries under its Venezuela sanctions regime, an Aug. 4 notice said. The corrections add and remove identifying information for the entries, which remain subject to an asset freeze.

The United Kingdom’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation published an Aug. 3 blog post about its new Transport Sanctions team, which will focus on maritime and air sanctions enforcement. The team will concentrate on enforcing restrictions on the “movement, registration, ownership and use” of ships and aircraft, including transporters who falsify documents or obscure ship ownership. The U.K. recently issued a sanctions guidance for the maritime industry, detailing sanctions evasion practices by North Korea, Iran, Libya and Syria (see 2007290019).

Iran announced sanctions on Richard Goldberg, a former aide to former U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton, the Iranian government said Aug. 2, according to an unofficial translation. Goldberg, a senior adviser at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, called the designation a “badge of honor.” Bolton said “drawing sanctions from the corrupt Iranian regime for ‘economic terrorism’ shows the effectiveness of [Goldberg’s] work.”

The State Department expanded its sanctions regime on Iran’s metal sector (see 2001170042 and 1912170029) to capture 22 more “specific materials” used in Iran’s nuclear, military and ballistic missiles programs, the agency said July 30. Any person or company who knowingly transfers the metals to Iran may be subject to sanctions under the Irani Freedom and Counter-Proliferation Act, the agency said.

The Council of the European Union renewed its terrorism sanctions regime for six months and added an entry to its ISIL (Da’esh) and al-Qaida sanctions regime, a July 30 notice said. The new designation is French national Bryan D’Ancona. The United Kingdom sanctioned D’Ancona July 31.