The Office of Foreign Assets Control and the Department of State announced the following sanctions action last week.
International Criminal Court-Related Sanctions
State Department sanctions ICC officials; OFAC issues wind-down license: On Aug. 18, the State Department designated International Criminal Court President Tomoko Akane and ICC Senior Trial Lawyer Abdoulaye Seye under Executive Order 14203, citing their involvement in ICC actions involving officials of countries that have not accepted the court’s jurisdiction. Related to this action, OFAC issued International Criminal Court-related General License 12 authorizing certain wind-down transactions involving persons blocked on Aug. 18, 2026, and added Akane and Seye to the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN) List. Read more.
Russia-related
OFAC issues updated Russia-related general license for Lukoil transactions: On Aug. 20, OFAC issued Russia-related General License 131I, authorizing certain transactions related to the negotiation and entry into contingent contracts for the sale of Lukoil International GmbH and related maintenance or wind-down activities through Sept. 19, 2026. The license replaces and supersedes General License 131H. OFAC also amended Russia-related FAQs 1224 and 1225, updated Cuba-related FAQ 1265, and updated the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List. Read more.
Cuba-related Sanctions
State Department targets ICAP leadership and Cuba mining sector: On Aug. 20, the State Department designated three senior officials of the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP) and nine Cuban entities linked to the regime’s operations, including organizations in the metals and mining sector. Related to this action, OFAC added several Cuban state-owned entities to the SDN List, including Acinox Comercial, Metalcuba, Geominsal, Empresa de Níquel Comandante Ernesto Che Guevara, CORATUR, Consumimport, Transimport, ACOREC and the Ministry of Construction of Cuba, and updated the SDN entry for ICAP. The designations were issued pursuant to Executive Order 14404. Read more.
Foreign Terrorist Organization Sanctions
OFAC targets Hizballah cash-transfer network: On Aug. 20, OFAC designated 10 individuals involved in a network that allegedly transfers cash to Hizballah through couriers traveling between Lebanon, Türkiye, the United Arab Emirates and Iran, helping the group obtain foreign currency and evade sanctions. OFAC also re-designated Hizballah for providing services to the Iranian regime under the direction of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force. The action was taken pursuant to Executive Order 13224, as amended. Read more.
OFAC targets Ecuador-based cocaine trafficking network: On Aug. 20, OFAC designated 15 Ecuador-based individuals and entities and identified 10 vessels as blocked property for their roles in a cocaine trafficking network linked to the Foreign Terrorist Organizations Los Choneros and Los Lobos. Operating under the cover of legitimate fishing businesses, the network allegedly moved thousands of kilograms of cocaine from Ecuador through Mexico for distribution in the United States. The action targets the growing collaboration between Ecuadorian criminal groups and Mexican cartels, including the Sinaloa Cartel and CJNG, and supports broader U.S. efforts to disrupt narcotics trafficking in the Eastern Pacific. Read more.
Venezuela-related Sanctions
OFAC issues Venezuela telecommunications general licenses: On Aug. 21, OFAC issued Venezuela General License 61, authorizing the supply of certain telecommunications-related items and services to Venezuela, and Venezuela General License 62, authorizing the negotiation and entry into contingent contracts for investment in Venezuela’s telecommunications sector. OFAC also issued FAQ 1266 to provide related guidance on these authorizations. Read more.
OFAC adds Venezuela-related entity to SDN List: On Aug. 18, OFAC added BluWaves Properties Limited, a British Virgin Islands company, to the SDN List under Venezuela-related sanctions authority Executive Order 13850. The designation expands OFAC’s efforts to target entities linked to sanctioned Venezuelan interests. Read more.
