The U.K. recently removed or amended entries from its ISIL (Da'esh) and al-Qaida, Zimbabwe, and Russia sanctions regimes.
The Trump administration confirmed this week it will not renew a general license from the Office of Foreign Assets Control that has allowed Chevron to wind down certain oil activities in Venezuela.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control released another video May 23 in its ongoing effort to provide guidance on U.S. sanctions programs and rules. The latest episode provides an overview of how to contact the OFAC Compliance Hotline to submit questions about U.S. sanctions compliance and OFAC resources. The agency's other videos offer a tutorial on using its sanctions list search tool (see 2401190016), an introduction to U.S. sanctions programs (see 2307280070), and an introduction to blocking and non-blocking sanctions (see 2308280047).
The State Department last week notified Congress that the Sudanese government used chemical weapons in 2024 and isn't in compliance with the Chemical Weapons Convention. As a result, the U.S. plans to impose new sanctions against Sudan, including restrictions on U.S. exports to Sudan and on access to U.S. government lines of credit, following a 15-day Congressional notification period. The sanctions will take effect on the date of publication of a notice in the Federal Register, which is expected around June 6.
The U.K. this week renewed its Russia sanctions license that authorizes certain payments to charities linked to sanctioned parties. The license authorizes transactions by interim managers or trustees appointed by the Charity Commission for England and Wales. Under the license, which now runs through May 30, 2028, interim managers or trustees may authorize payments for the basic needs of the charity, to disperse charitable funds and to "wind up" the charity. The license was scheduled to expire May 30.
The EU issued a new set of sanctions this week for people and entities with ties to chemical weapons, human rights abuses and Russian "hybrid threats." The additions were announced concurrently with the bloc's 17th sanctions package on Russia (see 2505200057).
The Trump administration has assembled a team to implement President Donald Trump’s recent order to remove sanctions on Syria, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said May 22.
The EU is lifting its remaining sanctions against Syria, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said this week.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week sanctioned Miguel Angel de Anda Ledezma and Ricardo Gonzalez Sauceda, two senior members of the Mexico-based Cartel del Noreste, formerly known as Los Zetas, for their roles in trafficking firearms and violence. OFAC said de Anda oversees payments to “facilitators” and straw purchasers in the U.S., who make “false representations” to buy firearms from American businesses. Gonzalez led an armed enforcement wing of the cartel that has carried out attacks on the Mexican police and military, OFAC said. Mexican authorities arrested Gonzalez in February.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week deleted multiple Venezuela-related entries from its Specially Designated Nationals List, including Alejandro Antonio Fleming Cabrera and Leonardo Gonzalez. Fleming Cabrera was sanctioned in 2017 for being a senior Venezuelan Ministry of Foreign Affairs official, and Gonzalez was sanctioned in 2019 for his ties to corruption in Venezuela. The agency didn't release more information about the delistings.