The Office of Foreign Assets Control announced the following sanctions action last week.
Counterterrorism and Russia-related Sanctions
OFAC issues new counterterrorism and Russia‑related general licenses: OFAC issued Counter Terrorism General License 35 to authorize the wind down of transactions involving entities blocked on April 14, 2026. OFAC also issued Russia‑related General Licenses 128C and 130A covering certain transactions involving Lukoil retail service stations and entities outside of Russia, amended FAQ 1225, and updated the SDN List.
Nicaragua-related Sanctions
OFAC targets Nicaragua’s gold sector and regime insiders: OFAC sanctioned five individuals and seven companies operating in Nicaragua’s gold sector for helping the Murillo‑Ortega dictatorship generate revenue, consolidate political power, and confiscate U.S.-owned assets. Those designated include senior government officials, entities tied to previously sanctioned parties, and two sons of co‑presidents Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo who hold government posts. The action underscores the United States’ ongoing effort to pressure the regime and was taken pursuant to Executive Order 13851, as amended, targeting corruption and human rights abuses in Nicaragua. Read more.
Iraq-related and Foreign Terrorist-related Sanctions
OFAC targets Iran‑aligned Iraqi militia leaders: As part of operation Economic Fury, targeting Iran’s terrorist activities, OFAC designated seven Iraqi militia commanders for planning and carrying out attacks against U.S. personnel, facilities, and interests in Iraq, targeting senior leaders of Iran‑aligned groups including Kata’ib Hizballah, Asa’ib Ahl Al‑Haqq, Harakat Al‑Nujaba, and Kata’ib Sayyid Al‑Shuhada. The action, taken under counterterrorism authority Executive Order 13224, underscores Treasury’s ongoing efforts to disrupt terrorist networks that threaten U.S. forces, undermine Iraq’s sovereignty, and destabilize the region. Read more.
Iran-related Sanctions
OFAC expands sanctions on Iran’s illicit oil shipping network: As part of operation Economic Fury, targeting Iran’s terrorist activities, OFAC sanctioned more than two dozen individuals, companies, and vessels tied to an illicit oil shipping network led by Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, targeting efforts to smuggle Iranian oil and finance the Iranian regime and its proxies. The action builds on prior designations of the Shamkhani network and also targets a related money‑laundering scheme involving Iranian oil, Venezuelan gold, and support for Hizballah and the IRGC‑Qods Force, using authorities under Executive Orders 13902 and 13224. Read more.
Sudan-related Sanctions
OFAC sanctions network supplying foreign fighters to Sudan: OFAC imposed sanctions on five individuals and entities involved in recruiting and deploying former Colombian military personnel to fight for Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces, fueling a conflict that has driven mass displacement, famine, and widespread human rights abuses. The action, taken under Executive Order 14098, targets a network that has helped sustain the war and exacerbate one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with the United States again calling for an immediate humanitarian truce and an end to external support for the fighting. Read more.
Foreign Terrorist Organization Sanctions
OFAC targets Cartel del Noreste money laundering network: OFAC sanctioned six targets involved in a money laundering and cash‑smuggling enterprise operated by Cartel del Noreste (CDN), a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization that controls key trafficking corridors near Laredo, Texas. The action targets three individuals and two CDN‑affiliated casinos—one located just miles from the U.S. border—and was taken under authorities addressing illicit drug trafficking and terrorism to disrupt the cartel’s revenue streams and cross‑border criminal operations. Read more.
