The Office of Foreign Assets Control last week labeled Venezuela-based Cartel de los Soles a Specially Designated Global Terrorist. OFAC said the cartel is a criminal group headed by Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, adding it "provides material support" to groups the U.S. has labeled foreign terrorist organizations, including Tren de Aragua and the Sinaloa Cartel.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control deleted a range of entries from its Specially Designated Nationals List last week that were originally sanctioned for their ties to Myanmar or North Korea. The delistings include KT Services & Logistics Company Limited and its CEO, Jonathan Myo Kyaw Thaung, a company OFAC sanctioned in 2022 for being controlled by the Myanmar military; Funsaga Pte Ltd., which also was sanctioned in 2022 for doing business with a North Korean-run animation studio; and Suntac Technologies, which was sanctioned in 2023 for ties to the Myanmar military. OFAC didn't release more information about why it removed those entries.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week designated North Korea-based Korea Sobaeksu Trading Company and three people working closely with the company for helping North Korea evade sanctions. OFAC said Kim Se Un, Jo Kyong Hun and Myong Chol Min are either employed by the company or work with it to help generate revenue for the North Korean government, including by deploying information technology workers overseas to earn money.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control is now accepting licensing questions through a new online platform and is planning to retire its current callback-only telephone system on Aug. 29, the agency said this week. Users that submit questions through the online platform will receive answers about specific OFAC licenses and interpretive guidance via email or by phone. Before submitting questions, OFAC said, users are encouraged to review existing sanctions FAQs, watch OFAC’s video guidance on applying for a license, review the agency’s best practices for license applications, and check their license application status.
The House approved by voice vote late July 21 a bill aimed at improving the investigative capabilities of the Office of Foreign Assets Control.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week sanctioned two people and five entities involved in money laundering and importing petroleum products into territory controlled by Houthis, the group designated by the U.S. as a foreign terrorist organization in March (see 2503040008). The designations target a network across Yemen and the United Arab Emirates for being “among the most significant importers” of petroleum products and money launderers for the Houthis.
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The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week sanctioned six key leaders and affiliates of Tren de Aragua, the Venezuela-based criminal group that the U.S. labeled a Specially Designated Global Terrorist and Foreign Terrorist Organization in February (see 2502200019 and 2502200019). The designations target Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, also known as Nino Guerrero, the head of Tren de Aragua, along with co-founder Yohan Jose Romero and senior officials Josue Angel Santana Pena, Wilmer Jose Perez Castillo and Felix Anner Castillo Rondon. OFAC also sanctioned Guerrero Flores' wife, Wendy Marbelys Rios Gomez, for her ties to money laundering, terrorism and terrorist financing, the agency said, adding that it believes she has "enriched herself through profits" from Tren de Aragua.
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The Office of Foreign Assets Control fined a Connecticut-based online investment broker $11,832,136 to settle alleged violations of multiple U.S. sanctions programs, saying the company illegally provided services to sanctioned people and restricted countries, and it processed trades in securities of blocked Chinese military companies.