The U.S. this week sanctioned people and entities for their ties to North Korea, including financial firms, employees of U.S.-designated companies, military officials and others.
Even if a transaction is authorized by a Treasury Department sanctions license or a Commerce Department export license, it still may be subject to prohibitions or notification requirements under Treasury’s new outbound investment rules (see 2410280043), the agency said in new FAQs.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control fined C.H. Robinson, one of the world’s largest logistics firms, more than $250,000 after OFAC said its non-U.S. subsidiaries violated sanctions against Iran and Cuba. The five subsidiaries allegedly provided freight brokerage or transportation services for 82 shipments to or from Iran or involving Iranian or Cuban goods, while one of the companies also did business with sanctioned Iranian airline Mahan Air.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week removed a range of Latin America-related entries from its Specially Designated Nationals List, including multiple people and entities the agency had accused of having links to illegal drug trafficking.
U.S. persons may be able to host sanctioned people as speakers at overseas conferences without a specific authorization, the Office of Foreign Assets Control said, marking an apparent reversal of the agency’s previous sanctions policy for speaking engagements.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week sanctioned China-based Sichuan Silence Information Technology Company and an employee, Guan Tianfeng, for their roles in a 2020 cyber attack against U.S. critical infrastructure companies and firewalls of thousands of businesses worldwide. OFAC said the company tried to steal sensitive data, including usernames and passwords, and infect victims’ systems with ransomware. The agency added that Sichuan Silence is a cybersecurity government contractor whose “core clients” are Chinese intelligence services.
Companies should expect the U.S. government to continue to prioritize enforcement of export controls in the coming months, including by issuing new penalties for export violations, said Matthew Axelrod, the Bureau of Industry and Security’s top export enforcement official. He also revealed that BIS is using a new tool to better screen foreign parties listed on license applications, and he said a recent shift in how the agency uses metrics has allowed it to devote more attention to cases involving the most sensitive technology.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week sanctioned the Houthi National Committee for Prisoners’ Affairs and its leader, Abdulqader Al-Murtadha, for operating prisons in Yemen on behalf of the Houthis, a group labeled by the U.S. as a terrorist organization (see 2401170025). OFAC also sanctioned Fawaz al-Akhras for providing “financial, material, or technological support for” Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, who reportedly left the country after his regime was overthrown by rebels over the weekend. OFAC said the sanctions mark International Human Rights Day on Dec. 10.
The U.S. sanctioned 28 people and businesses connected to a global gold smuggling and money laundering network based in Zimbabwe, including Kamlesh Mansukhlal Damji Pattni, who leads the network and has bribed government officials, the Office of Foreign Assets Control said. OFAC said the sanctions mark International Anti-Corruption Day and were coordinated with the U.K. and the FBI.
Daniel Munzert, a former enforcement official with the Office of Foreign Assets Control, has joined Citibank as its senior vice president of sanctions regulatory compliance, he announced last week on LinkedIn. Munzert joined OFAC in 2021 and left for Citibank in November.