The U.S. and Canada designated two Haitian nationals for their connection to illicit narcotics trafficking, the countries said Nov. 4. The two designees are Joseph Lambert, the sitting president of the Haitian Senate who has held political positions in Haiti for 20 years, and Youri Latortue, a former Haitian senator and a longtime politician.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control designated members of an international oil smuggling network that facilitated oil trades and generated revenue for Hezbollah and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF), according to a Nov. 3 OFAC notice.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control has sanctioned eight individuals connected with weapons trafficking in Somalia, according to a Nov. 1 notice. The action targets Islamic State in Somalia and its network of weapons traffickers, their associates, and an affiliated business that have "facilitated weapons transfers to multiple terrorist groups" and follows up on the recent designations of al-Shabaab financial facilitators and weapons smugglers (see 2210170069), OFAC said. These networks operate primarily between Yemen and Somalia and have strong ties to al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula and al-Shabaab. OFAC also designated an ISIS supporter in Brazil, who the office says has attempted to serve as a liaison between terrorist groups.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control has updated its Frequently Asked Questions to give additional guidance regarding the transport of Russian crude oil prior to the implementation of the oil price cap. FAQ 1094, issued Oct. 31, explains that Russian-origin crude oil loaded onto a vessel for maritime transport prior to Dec. 5 will not be subject to the price cap (also known as the “maritime services policy”) provided that the oil is unloaded at the port of destination prior to 12:01 a.m. EST, Jan. 19, 2023.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control last week imposed sanctions on 15 Khordad Foundation, an Iranian organization responsible for the bounty on author Salman Rushdie. 15 Khordad Foundation has "committed millions of dollars" toward a bounty on the author since 1989 and has raised the bounty amount several times, most recently to $3.3 million, OFAC said in an Oct. 28 news release. The foundation, along with other Iranian entities, has led to the death and injury of several people associated with Rushdie, including writers, translators and publishers, OFAC said.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned nine people and 12 entities this week in an effort to counter "persistent malign influence campaigns and systemic corruption in Moldova" by Russian actors, the agency said.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week sanctioned 10 Iranian officials, two Iranian intelligence actors and two other Iranian entities related to the ongoing crackdown on protests in Iran and the Iranian government’s efforts to disrupt digital freedom, according to an Oct. 26 press release.
President Joe Biden signed an executive order this week authorizing new sanctions and trade restrictions against Nicaragua. The U.S. also announced new Nicaragua-related designations and issued a general license.
In coordination with DOJ and the FBI, the Office of Foreign Assets Control has added one individual and two organizations to its Specially Designated Nationals list, according to an Oct. 19 notice.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control added three individuals and four entities to its Specially Designated Nationals list in connection with alleged narcotics trafficking, according to an Oct. 19 notice.