A South American airline may have violated U.S. sanctions against Cuba, the airline said in an October filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Avianca Holdings said it recently became subject to U.S. sanctions regulations when its parent company, Synergy Aerospace Corp., conducted a 2018 share-transfer with a Delaware-based company “wholly-owned” by Synergy, the filings said. Soon after the transfer, Avianca said it discovered its “regularly scheduled” flights between Central and South America and Cuba were subject to U.S. laws and may have violated the U.S. Cuban Assets Control Regulations.
The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned four people and five entities related to financial, procurement and recruitment networks for ISIS, Treasury said in a Nov. 18 press release. The people and entities are located in Turkey and Afghanistan. The sanctioned parties include Sahloul Money Exchange Company, Al-Sultan Money Transfer Company, Tawasul Company, Ismail Bayaltun, Ahmet Bayaltun, ACL Ithalat Ihracat, Nejaat Social Welfare Organization, Sayed Habib Ahmad Khan and Rohullah Wakil.
Export Compliance Daily is providing readers with some of the top stories for Nov. 4-8 in case they were missed.
The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control amended a Nicaragua-related designation on its Specially Designated Nationals List, according to a Nov. 8 notice. The changes include updated identifying information for Roberto Jose Lopez Gomez, who was sanctioned by OFAC on Nov. 7 for corruption along with two other Nicaraguan officials (see 1911070035).
The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned three Nicaraguan government officials involved in human rights abuses, election fraud and corruption Treasury said Nov. 7. Ramon Antonio Avellan Medal, deputy director general of the Nicaraguan National Police, was designated for carrying out the government's “repressive measures,” including arbitrary arrests and executions, the agency said. Lumberto Ignacio Campbell Hooker, acting president of the Nicaraguan Supreme Electoral Council, was sanctioned for running an entity that ensures President Daniel Ortega wins elections. Roberto Jose Lopez Gomez, director of the Nicaraguan Social Security Institute, was designated for corruption.
A Florida-based aviation investment management company was fined about $210,000 after it committed 12 violations of U.S. sanctions against Sudan, Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control said in a Nov. 7 notice. The company, Apollo Aviation Group, which has since been bought by The Carlyle Group and is now Carlyle Aviation Partners, committed the violations in transactions involving the lease of three aircraft engines, the notice said. Apollo allegedly leased the engines to a United Arab Emirates company, which subleased the engines to a Ukrainian airline, which installed the engines on an aircraft wet leased to Sudan Airways.
The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned five Venezuelan government officials associated with corruption and “rampant violence,” Treasury said in a Nov. 5 press release. The agency said the sanctions “reflect a unified effort” against the Nicolas Maduro regime because the designated officials were previously sanctioned by the European Union or Canada. “This action harmonizes our efforts with those of our international partners,” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement.
The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control released quarterly reports of licensing activities for certain authorizations to Iran and Sudan from January through September 2018, OFAC said in a Nov. 5 notice. The report provides information on license applications for exports of agricultural commodities, medicine, and medical devices to Iran and Sudan under the licensing regime in the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enforcement Act of 2000, OFAC said. The reports contain statistics on the number of license applications and licenses issued for each product, the number of applications and licenses issued for each country and more.
The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control amended and issued Venezuela-related general licenses and revoked two Turkey general licenses, according to a Nov. 5 notice. OFAC also published new and amended frequently asked questions to explain the Venezuela-related licenses.
The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned Iran’s Armed Forces General Staff and nine government appointees of Iranian leader Ali Khamenei, Treasury said Nov. 4. The sanctions target officials in Khamenei’s office, the country’s Expediency Council and the judiciary, Treasury said.