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Economic Sanctions
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FinCEN issues its first orders under new fentanyl sanctions laws, targeting 3 Mexican FIs: CIBanco, Intercam, and Vector for laundering cartel-linked funds tied to fentanyl trafficking
FinCEN issues orders identifying three Mexico-based financial institutions—CIBanco S.A., Intercam Banco S.A., and Vector Casa de Bolsa S.A. de C.V.—as being of primary money laundering concern due to their involvement in illicit opioid trafficking. These actions, the first under the Fentanyl Sanctions Act and the FEND Off Fentanyl Act, prohibit certain transmittals of funds involving these institutions, effective 21 days after publication in the Federal Register…
UK intensifies its crackdown on Putin’s war economy with 30 new sanctions targeting illicit oil shipments, tech smuggling networks, and military intelligence links supporting Russia’s aggression
The UK government has imposed 30 new sanctions targeting key sectors of the Russian economy, including financial services, military, and energy, to further restrict Russia’s capacity to finance its war efforts. These coordinated measures aim to intensify pressure on the Russian regime and demonstrate continued support for Ukraine in the face of ongoing aggression…
OFAC sanctions Venezuelan fugitive gang leader for orchestrating drug trafficking, human smuggling, and laundering criminal proceeds across transnational networks
The designation aims to disrupt the financial infrastructure supporting Giovanni Mosquera Serrano’s narcotics trafficking activities. By freezing his assets and restricting transactions, the measure seeks to hinder the flow of illicit proceeds and weaken the operational capacity of his criminal network…
US Treasury imposes its largest sanctions yet on Iran-backed Houthis, targeting individuals, front companies, and vessels linked to illicit oil smuggling and TF
The sanctions significantly disrupt the Houthis’ financial networks by targeting revenue-generating front companies, key facilitators, and vessels involved in illicit oil trade. They also increase legal and commercial risk for individuals and entities engaging in transactions that support the Houthis, reinforcing the U.S. commitment to impeding terrorist financing…
US Treasury sanctions a global network aiding Iran’s defense industry, targeting individuals, companies, and a vessel supplying dual-use machinery for the IRGC’s missile and UAV programs
Action disrupts a transnational procurement network supporting Iran’s ballistic missile and unmanned aerial vehicle programs, curtailing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ access to sensitive technologies and logistics channels. These actions reinforce U.S. commitments under Executive Order 13382 to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and signal clear consequences for those enabling Iran’s destabilising activities…
US Treasury sanctions 5 top CJNG leaders, freezing their U.S. assets and blocking financial support to dismantle the cartel’s deadly drug and violence network
Five senior CJNG figures sanctioned under E.O. 14059 and E.O. 13224, targeting the cartel’s leadership for their role in drug trafficking, violence, and terrorism-related activities. These designations block their U.S.-linked assets, prohibit transactions involving U.S. persons or the U.S. financial system, and expose foreign financial institutions to secondary sanctions risks if they support these individuals…
OFSI’s June 2025 Threat Assessment flags the UK art and HVD sectors as hotspots for sanctions evasion and ML, urging tighter controls on HVA misuse by designated persons and enablers
The report reveals that luxury assets like art, jewellery, and vehicles are widely used to hide ownership, move funds covertly, and evade UK asset freezes. OFSI warns many remain unreported and reminds that from 14 May 2025, AMPs and HVDs must freeze and report assets linked to designated persons. Low SARs from these sectors highlight a serious compliance gap, while the role of enablers in facilitating breaches calls for stricter controls and due diligence beyond Russia-related risks…
OFAC cracks down on 5 individuals and sham overseas charities that posed as humanitarian organisations to funnel funds to designated terrorist groups Hamas and the PFLP
The sanctioned entities were found to be generating and moving illicit funds while posing as legitimate charities operating internationally and in Gaza. U.S. Treasury officials emphasized the importance of safeguarding the charitable sector and reaffirmed their commitment to using all available tools to disrupt terrorist financing. This move follows previous joint sanctions coordinated with the United Kingdom and Australia, reinforcing international efforts to dismantle Hamas’s financial networks…
OFSI releases new video series on ‘Financial Sanctions: The Basics’ to boost understanding of UK sanctions, covering OFSI’s role, guidance, consolidated sanctions lists, reporting duties, and licensing
The series covers key areas including the function of OFSI, available guidance to support compliance, the consolidated list of designated persons maintained in collaboration with the FCDO, and procedures for reporting suspected sanctions breaches. It also introduces the use and operation of general licences, helping individuals and businesses understand when and how these may apply…
FinCEN issues a new advisory highlighting Iranian oil smuggling, shadow banking, and weapons procurement typologies to help FIs detect and report illicit financial activity
The Advisory replaces FinCEN’s 2018 Iran Advisory, which FinCEN is rescinding. The Advisory supports the implementation of the U.S. maximum pressure campaign against Iran outlined in National Security Presidential Memorandum (NSPM-2) and provides updated red flags and information on current trends and typologies for Iranian sanctions evasion and other illicit activity…
US DoS sanctions 4 ICC judges for authorising probes and arrest warrants against U.S and Israeli officials, calling the actions politically motivated, freezing their assets and banning all financial ties
These sanctions block all property and interests of the designated individuals under U.S. jurisdiction and prohibit U.S. persons from engaging in transactions with them…
US Treasury sanctions 4 Guyanese and 2 Colombians for trafficking tons of cocaine to the US, Europe, and the Caribbean via ships, narco-subs, and aircraft – targeting cartel finances and corruption
The network exploited Guyana’s porous borders, rivers, and corruption at ports and covert airstrips, facilitating large-scale transshipment of cocaine. Recent DEA- and Guyana-led operations intercepted over 2.3 tons on a narco-sub off the coast in March 2024 and 4.4 tons from a hidden airfield in Region One in August 2024…