The Office of Foreign Assets Control announced the following sanctions action last week.
Iran-related Sanctions
OFAC sanctions Iranian shadow banking network: On Sept. 16 OFAC designated two Iranian financial facilitators and over a dozen individuals and entities in Hong Kong and the UAE for coordinating illicit fund transfers—often from Iranian oil sales—that benefit IRGC-Qods Force (QF) and Iran’s Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL). The designees include UAE-based Iranian nationals Alireza Derakhshan, Arash Estaki Alivand, Vahid Derakhshan and Leila Karimi, and numerous entities in the UAE and one in Hong Kong.
These networks use front companies and cryptocurrency to launder money and evade sanctions, funding terrorist proxies and the development of ballistic missiles and UAVs that threaten U.S. and allied forces. Read more.
U.S. designates Iran-aligned militia groups as Foreign Terrorist Organizations: The Department of State has officially designated four Iran-aligned militia groups—Harakat al-Nujaba, Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada, Harakat Ansar Allah al-Awfiya, and Kata’ib al-Imam Ali—as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs). These designations reflect ongoing efforts to safeguard U.S. personnel and assets and reinforce the broader strategy to combat terrorism financing and regional threats. Read more.
Foreign Terrorist Organization Sanctions
OFAC sanctions Sinaloa Cartel faction – Los Mayos: On Sept. 18, OFAC designated Los Mayos, a powerful faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO). The group’s leader, Juan Jose Ponce Felix (a.k.a. “El Ruso”), was also sanctioned for his role in directing violent cartel operations and controlling drug trafficking routes in Baja California.
OFAC additionally sanctioned:
- Five individuals and 15 companies linked to Los Mayos’ regional network near the U.S.-Mexico border, including businesses used for money laundering and political influence in Rosarito.
- The leader of Los Rugrats, a separate Sinaloa-affiliated gang involved in fentanyl production and violent enforcement operations in Culiacan, Sinaloa.
