The U.S. this week sanctioned Mexican cartels Carteles Unidos and Los Viagras along with seven people that it said work closely with the cartels and are linked to terrorism, drug trafficking and extortion.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week redesignated Garantex, a virtual currency exchange with operations in Moscow, and sanctioned other companies and people that it said are involved in malicious cyber activities.

The U.K. on Aug. 13 amended the entry for Serbian national Marko Petrovic, member of the Kavac Gang, under the U.K.'s sanctions regime meant to combat global irregular migration and trafficking in persons. The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation noted in the listing that Petrovic has been convicted of violent behavior and an "endangerment-related" offense in Serbia.

China this week sanctioned two European banks in retaliation for the EU earlier this year designating Chinese financial institutions for doing business with Russia (see 2507180017). The announcement blocks Chinese companies and people from participating in transactions or other "activities" with Lithuanian banks AB Urbo Bankas and AB Mano Banka, the ministry said Aug. 13, according to an unofficial translation.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control issued a new general license this week to authorize certain transactions related to the Trump administration's planned meeting with Russian officials this week in Alaska. General License 125 authorizes transactions that are "ordinarily incident and necessary to the attendance at or support of meetings" between the two countries. Those transactions are authorized through 12:01 a.m. ET on Aug. 20.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week sanctioned four people in Mexico and 13 Mexican companies for their involvement in timeshare fraud led by Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion, a criminal group labeled a foreign terrorist organization and specially designated global terrorist by the Trump administration earlier this year (see 2502200019). OFAC said they work out of Puerto Vallarta, a popular Mexican tourist destination, and help to supplement the cartel's drug-trafficking revenue through timeshare fraud and fuel theft.

The U.K. on Aug. 12 amended or corrected a total of four entries under its sanctions regimes covering cyberattacks, Iraq and global irregular migration and trafficking in persons.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week sanctioned an armed group, a mining company and two export firms for their ties to violence and the sale of critical minerals in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. John Hurley, the Treasury Department's undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said the critical minerals trade in the DRC is harming civilians, "fueling corruption, and preventing law-abiding businesses from investing in the DRC."

The State Department labeled the Balochistan Liberation Army a Foreign Terrorist Organization and added several aliases to its existing entry as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (see 1907020042), it said in Federal Register notices released this week. The additional aliases are Majeed Brigade, Fateh Squad and Zephyr Intelligence Research and Analysis Bureau. The Office of Foreign Assets Control updated its sanctions entry for the group to reflect the change.

U.S. companies shouldn’t rush to start business with Syria despite the Trump administration lifting some sanctions, said Daniel Schneiderman, a former Pentagon official who oversaw Afghanistan policy.