The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week removed from the Specially Designated Nationals List a Turkey-based entity that had originally been targeted for posing a Russia-related secondary sanctions risk. The agency deleted three aliases for the entity known as North Star Shipyard, Kuzey Star Shipyard Denizcilik Sanayi ve Ticaret Anonim Sirketi, and Kuzey Star Shipyard Maritime Industry and Trade Inc. OFAC didn't provide more information.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned six people and two entities that it said are helping Iran evade U.S. sanctions and smuggle weapons or that have ties to corruption in Iraq.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week sanctioned more than 50 people, entities and ships for helping move and sell Iranian oil and liquefied petroleum gas, earning the Iranian government "billions of dollars" for its support of terrorism, the agency said. The designations targeted nearly two dozen shadow fleet vessels and their owners, a China-based crude oil terminal, a Chinese refinery and others.
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The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Sept. 29 upheld the Office of Foreign Assets Control's addition of Iranian company Bahman Group to the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN) list. Judge Randolph Moss held that OFAC's denial of Bahman's delisting petition wasn't impermissibly predetermined, finding that even if OFAC's decision could be set aside under the Administrative Procedure Act for being pre-decided, "the record offers no basis for concluding that OFAC’s decision-making in this case was pretextual or irredeemably biased under any standard" (Bahman Group v. Lisa Palluconi, D.D.C. # 22-3826).
The Office of Foreign Assets Control on Oct. 6 removed Horacio Manuel Cartes, former president of Paraguay, from its Specially Designated Nationals List. OFAC also removed five entities that had been sanctioned for supporting Cartes or for ties to the former president, including Tabacalera del Este, Tabesa, Frigorifico Chajha, Dominicana Acquisition, Bebidas and Tabacos. The agency didn't release more information.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week sanctioned eight Mexicans and 12 Mexico-based companies that it said have ties to the Sinaloa Cartel’s Los Chapitos faction, a group designated in June for helping to traffic fentanyl to the U.S. (see 2506090023).
The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week sanctioned nearly 40 people and entities with ties to networks helping to buy sensitive goods and technology for Iran’s Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics, along with its missile and military aircraft production efforts.
A Canada-headquartered biotechnology company agreed to pay the Bureau of Industry and Security $685,051 after admitting to illegally exporting water quality testing and analytical instruments to Iran. BIS said the company knew the shipments violated U.S. export controls, adding that it worked to “conceal” the destination of the exports by falsely listing a United Arab Emirates freight forwarder as the ultimate consignee, undervalued the items to avoid UAE customs scrutiny, and left out references to Iran in the invoice.
Processing of most export license applications, as well as sanctions licenses, will pause during the government shutdown that began Oct. 1, although export enforcement operations and national security-related investigations will continue, the Commerce, State and Treasury departments said this week.