The Office of Foreign Assets Control announced the following sanctions action.
Iran-related Sanctions
- OFAC designates network procuring missile propellant ingredients for Iran: OFAC on April 29 designated six entities and six individuals based in Iran and the People’s Republic of China for their role in a network procuring ballistic missile propellant ingredients on behalf of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. OFAC designated Iran-based entity, Saman Tejarat Barman Trading Company; PRC-based Shenzhen Amor Logistics Co Ltd; Dongying Weiaien Chemical Co Ltd; Yanling Chuanxing Chemical Plant General Partnership; China Chlorate Tech Co Limited; and Yanling Lingfeng Chlorate Co Ltd. Also designated are the following individuals: Iran-based STB associate Mohammad Asgari; Abed Zargar Bab Aldashti; Hamed Zargar Bab Aldashti; Zahra Zargar Bab Aldashti; Forough Modarres Fathi and Abbas Pour Kazemi. Read more.
Transnational Criminal Organization-related and Burma-related Sanctions
- OFAC designates a Burmese warlord and militia tied to cyber scam operations: OFAC designated the Karen National Army (KNA), a Burmese militia group controlling a Thai-Burmese border region home to multiple cyber scam syndicates, along with the group’s leader, Saw Chit Thu and his two sons, Saw Htoo Eh Moo and Saw Chit Chit. They were designated under Treasury’s transnational criminal organization and Burma-related sanctions programs, for their role facilitating cyber scams that harm U.S. citizens as well as facilitating human trafficking and cross-border smuggling. American victims of cyber scams, like the ones emanating from Burma, have collectively lost billions of dollars over the last three years. Read more.
Foreign Terrorist Organization Designations and Sanctions
- State designates two Haitian gangs as FTOs, and OFAC adds them to SDN List: OFAC on May 2 added Haitian gangs, Gran Grif and Viv Ansanm to its Specially Designated Nationals List pursuant to the Global Terrorism Sanctions Regulations, 31 C.F.R. part 594 and the Foreign Terrorist Organizations Sanctions Regulations, 31 C.F.R. part 597. OFAC’s action is in response to the U.S. Department of State’s designation of the groups for its violent attacks against Haitians. Read more.
- OFAC targets network of entities and individuals supporting CJNG: The Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control on May 1 sanctioned three Mexican nationals and two Mexico-based entities involved in a drug trafficking and fuel theft network linked to the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG). At the same time, Secretary Bessent spoke regarding this action, and OFAC published an explainer regarding Mexican Cartel Crude Oil Smuggling Methodology. This CJNG network generates hundreds of millions of dollars annually, benefitting CJNG, through fentanyl trafficking, fuel theft, and smuggling stolen crude oil from Mexico across the southwest border. Read more.
- Concurrently, Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network issued an Alert that provides financial typologies and red flags indicative of crude oil smuggling schemes on the U.S. southwest border associated with CJNG and other Mexico-based transnational criminal organizations. FinCEN requests that financial institutions reference this alert by including the key term “FIN-2025-OILSMUGGLING” in SAR field 2 (Filing Institution Note to FinCEN) and the narrative. Read more.
- OFAC targets vessels and their owners for supporting Ansarallah: OFAC on April 28 designated three vessels and their owners for providing support to Ansarallah, commonly known as the Houthis, which is part of the Iranian regime’s network of terrorist proxies and partners. Ansarallah has deployed missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, and naval mines to attack commercial shipping interests in the Red Sea, threatening global freedom of navigation and the integrity of international commerce. The Houthis also profit significantly from the shipment of goods through ports they control, profiting, in particular, from the discharge of refined petroleum products. OFAC designated Zaas Shipping & Trading Co and San Marino-flagged vessel, Tulip BZ; Bagsak Shipping Inc and Panama-flagged vessel, Maisan; and Great Success Shipping Co and Panama-flagged vessel, White Whale. Read more.
