The Office of Foreign Assets Control took sanctions action over the last week in the Russia and terrorism-related programs:
Russia-related Sanctions
- U.S. Sanctions Nearly 300 Entities and Individuals for Supporting Russia’s Sanctions Evasion Scheme: The United States on May 1 sanctioned nearly 300 entities and individuals that are engaged in sanctions evasion and circumvention involving Russia’s chemical and biological weapons programs and defense industrial base. The Department of State is also targeting Russia’s revenue generation through its future energy, metals, and mining production and sanctioning additional individuals in connection with the death of opposition leader and anticorruption activist Aleksey Navalny. The U.S. Department of Justice also filed a forfeiture complaint against a set of aircraft landing gear for a Boeing 737-800 that was detained in September 2023 at Miami International Airport by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. The gear was purchased for $1.55 million for the benefit of a Kyrgyz Republic-based transhipper servicing the Russian Federation, in violation of U.S. sanctions. Read more. See the identifying information on the designees.
- Related to this action, OFAC issued Russia-related General License 95, “Authorizing Civil Aviation Safety and Wind Down Transactions Involving Limited Liability Company Aviakompaniya Pobeda,” Russia-related General License 96, “Authorizing Limited Safety and Environmental Transactions Involving Certain Blocked Persons or Vessels,” and Russia-related General License 97, “Authorizing the Wind Down of Transactions Involving Certain Entities Blocked on May 1, 2024.”
- OFAC Issues Russia-related General License 8I: OFAC on April 29 issued General License 8I which authorizes certain transactions related to energy involving one or more of the following entities through Nov. 1, 2024: State Corporation Bank for Development and Foreign Economic Affairs Vnesheconombank; Public Joint Stock Company Bank Financial Corporation Otkritie; Sovcombank Open Joint Stock Company; Public Joint Stock Company Sberbank of Russia; VTB Bank Public Joint Stock Company; Joint Stock Company Alfa-Bank; Public Joint Stock Company Rosbank; Bank Zenit Public Joint Stock Company; Bank Saint-Petersburg Public Joint Stock Company; Any entity in which one or more of the above persons own, directly or indirectly, individually or in the aggregate, a 50 percent or greater interest; or the Central Bank of the Russian Federation. Read more.
- OFAC Removes Aircrafts from Russia-related Designations: OFAC on May 3 removed Malta-based Emperor Aviation Ltd (also known as Emperor Avieishn Ltd) and several aircrafts previously designated pursuant to Executive Order 14024, “Blocking Property With Respect To Specified Harmful Foreign Activities of the Government of the Russian Federation.” No additional information was released by OFAC regarding this action. Read more.
Terrorism-related Sanctions
- OFAC Designates Individuals and Entities Supporting Hizballah Financial Advisor: OFAC on May 2 designated five individuals for helping U.S.-designated Hizballah money exchanger Hassan Moukalled and his company, CTEX Exchange, evade sanctions and facilitate illicit activities in support of Hizballah. These individuals, including two co-founders of CTEX Exchange and two of Moukalled’s sons, operate two companies in Lebanon and the United Arab Emirates that are being concurrently designated. The individuals and entities were designated pursuant to Executive Order 13224, as amended, which targets terrorist groups, their supporters, and those who aid acts of terrorism. Read more.
