An Office of Foreign Assets Control official said the agency within the Treasury is trying to “expedite” responses on license applications but does not have the resources to lift certain compliance burdens that have caused headaches for U.S. companies, such as regulations that require businesses to determine which companies are owned 50 percent or more by a sanctioned party. “That’s something were trying to work on,” said Susan Demske, OFAC’s assistant director for regulatory affairs.
The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned Cubametales, Cuba’s state-run oil import-export company, for importing oil from Venezuela, Treasury said in a July 3 press release. In exchange for the oil, Treasury said, Cubametales provides Venezuela and the Nicolas Maduro regime with “defense, intelligence and security assistance.”
The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control added one person and one entity to its Specially Designated Nationals List, OFAC said in a July 2 notice. In Federal Register notices, the State Department said Lebanon-based Husain Ali Hazzima and the Pakistan-based Balochistan Liberation Army are each designated as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist. Both pose "a significant risk of committing" acts of "terrorism that threaten” the U.S. or its national or economic security, State said. OFAC also added several aliases for Jundallah, an Iran-based militant organization, which maintained its State Department designation as a foreign terrorist organization (see 1907010011).
Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security banned export privileges for a man who was convicted of illegally exporting gas turbine parts in 2018, Commerce said in a June 28 order. Commerce said the man, Olaf Tepper, violated the International Emergency Economic Powers Act after he exported parts to Germany that were intended for an end-user in Iran. Tepper did not have the proper export license from the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control. Tepper was sentenced to two years in prison and a $5,000 fine in addition to the export ban, which included revoking all of Tepper’s BIS-related licenses. The ban will last 10 years after his conviction date of Aug. 3, 2018, Commerce said.
the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control issued a reminder for all “holders of blocked property” to submit their Annual Report of Blocked Property by Sept. 30, OFAC said in a July 2 notice. The list should contain all blocked property held as of June 30, 2019, the notice said. Blocked property is that which is blocked "pursuant to OFAC regulations." The reports must be filed using OFAC’s new form TD-F 90-22.50, which is available for download in the notice. Those who do not submit required forms are subject to violations in OFAC's Reporting, Procedures and Penalties Regulations.
The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned Nicolas “Nicolasito” Ernesto Maduro Guerra, the son of Nicolas Maduro, for being a government official of the “illegitimate” Venezuelan Maduro regime, Treasury said in a June 28 press release. Treasury said the younger Maduro is a member of Venezuela’s National Constituent Assembly, which tries to “rewrite the Venezuelan constitution and dissolve Venezuelan state institutions.”
The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned two Venezuelan government officials for fraud and corruption, Treasury said in a June 27 press release. OFAC is sanctioning Luis Alfredo Motta Dominguez, former minister of Electric Power and former president of the National Electric Corporation (CORPOELEC), and Eustiquio Jose Lugo Gomez, the deputy minister of Finance, Investments, and Strategic Alliances for the Ministry of Electric Power.
The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control amended the North Korea Sanctions Regulations to update references to “descriptive text” for certain entries on OFAC’s sanctions list, OFAC said in notice. The changes update references for entries on the Specially Designated Nationals List and List of Foreign Financial Institutions Subject to Correspondent Account or Payable-Through Account Sanctions. The notice is scheduled to be published June 28.
The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control amended a Venezuela-related General License and extended the expiration date of two Ukraine-related General Licenses, OFAC said in a June 26 notice. OFAC is amending Venezuela-related General License 13A to extend its expiration date to Oct. 25, 2019, the notice said. Both Ukraine-related General Licenses No. 13L and No. 15F are extended until Nov. 8, 2019, OFAC said. General License No. 15F also includes a new authorization “for certain safety-related activity,” the notice said.
Canada imposed sanctions on nine Nicaraguan officials under the country’s Special Economic Measures Regulations, Canada said in a June 21 press release. Canada announced the sanctions in response to “gross and systematic human rights violations committed in Nicaragua,” it said in a separate release. The U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control also recently announced sanctions on four Nicaraguan government officials (see 1906210041). In fact, the Global Affairs Canada release said Canada is taking its actions in “coordination with the United States.”