A civil forfeiture complaint was filed March 26 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia alleging that $47 million in proceeds from the sale of nearly one million barrels of Iranian petroleum is forfeitable as property of, or affording a person a source of influence over, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) or its Qods Force (IRGC-QF), designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs).
Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) today designated five individuals and three companies involved in a Lebanon-based sanctions evasion network that supports Hizballah’s finance operations. The designated entities are tied to a network managing commercial enterprises and oil smuggling operations in coordination with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps–Qods Force (IRGC-QF) to fund Hizballah’s terrorist activities.
President Trump signed an executive order Tuesday authorizing a 25 percent tariff on imports from countries that continue to import Venezuelan oil, either directly or indirectly. The proposed levies would increase the cost of goods imported from China to nearly 50 percent.
The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) announced a final rule March 25th, amending the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) by adding 80 foreign entities to the Entity List. Sales to listed entities are presumed denied and require an export license. The new restrictions, while not altering the legal framework of the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), appear to chart a trajectory toward broader control measures.
The Trump Administration exacted retribution on former Argentine President Cristina Elisabet Fernández de Kirchner and her former Planning Minister Julio Miguel De Vido, "for their involvement in significant corruption during their time in public office." The two have been banned from travel to the United States. "These designations reaffirm our commitment to counter global corruption, including at the highest levels of government," said Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has finalized a rule extending the recordkeeping period under 31 CFR parts 501 and 515 from five to ten years. This change aligns with the amended statute of limitations for civil and criminal violations under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and the Trading with the Enemy Act (TWEA), as enacted in Section 3111 of the 21st Century Peace through Strength Act.
In a striking move, the United States took yet another step back from Ukraine and its allies by abstaining from a key vote at the International Labour Organization (ILO). This is the second such abstention in Geneva, following a similar move at the World Trade Organization last month. At the UN General Assembly, the US went even further, voting with North Korea and other Russian allies against a western-backed resolution denouncing the invasion and tabling a more conciliatory text, raising concerns that Ukraine may no longer rely on the US as a leading force to plead its cause at multilateral bodies.
The United States has filed a civil forfeiture complaint in the Southern District of Florida against a Dassault Falcon 900 EX aircraft, tail number T7-ESPRT, used by Nicolás Maduro Moros and his regime in violation of U.S. sanctions and export laws. The aircraft was seized last year in the Dominican Republic at the request of the U.S.
Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has sanctioned the Foxtrot Network, a Sweden-based transnational criminal organization (TCO), along with its fugitive leader, Rawa Majid. The network, involved in drug trafficking and violent crimes across Europe, orchestrated an attack on the Israeli Embassy in Stockholm in January 2024 on behalf of Iran.
Despite the Justice Department's dismantling of inter-agency cooperation to enforce sanctions and combat corruption, cases begun before the change of regime continue to wend their way though the courts. March 10, The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York granted the government’s motion to strike the ownership claim of Eduard Khudainatov and Millemarin Investments Ltd. concerning the Motor Yacht Amadea.
President Donald Trump has issued contradictory signals regarding sanctions on Russia, simultaneously threatening punitive economic measures while reportedly exploring avenues for relief. On Friday, Trump warned of large-scale banking sanctions, tariffs, and additional economic penalties on Moscow in an effort to push Russia and Ukraine toward a peace settlement. Despite his threats of increased economic pressure on Russia, reports indicate that the Trump administration is simultaneously considering sanction relief.
In a further sign of the Trump White House's rapprochement with the Kremlin, The Treasury and Department of State have been ordered to compile a list of sanctions to be lifted. Europe may soon find itself enforcing measures against Moscow alone.
Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has imposed sanctions on seven senior members of Ansarallah, commonly known as the Houthis, for their roles in smuggling military-grade weapons into Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and negotiating arms procurement deals with Russia. Additionally, OFAC has designated a Houthi-affiliated operative and his company for recruiting Yemeni civilians to fight for Russia in Ukraine, generating revenue to support Houthi militant operations.
Tuesday Beijing announced several export control and sanctiosn measures on US firms, including the addition of 10 U.S. firms to China’s Unreliable Entity List, and restrictions on certain U.S. companies in the high-tech sector. Firms added to the Unreliable Entity List are added for their involvement in arming the Taipei government, while the Export Control List entries are prohibited from importing dual-use items from the PRC.
China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) announced on Tuesday that it has launched an anti-circumvention investigation into certain optical fiber products imported from the US, marking the first time that China has initiated such an investigation. The ministry said in a notice that it has learned that relevant fiber optic products are suspected of circumventing China's anti-dumping measures, and it initiated the probe at the request of domestic industries. Based on the investigation's findings, a decision will be made on whether to impose anti-circumvention measures against the US, the notice said.
The growing number of aerospace smuggling cases reflects a broad and deep crisis within Russia's civilian airline industry, which has been under sweeping US and European sanctions since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. RFE/RL Correspondent Todd Prince reports on the efforts of Russian airlines to stretch aircraft lifespans by smuggling certified parts from the United States and Europe unofficial sources, resorting to unofficial maintenance checks and reducing flight frequency.
Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has sanctioned six entities based in Hong Kong and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) for procuring unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) components on behalf of Iranian drone builder PKGB. This action builds upon prior designations, including those in February 2024 targeting Hong Kong-based procurement networks working for PKGB. The latest measures are part of efforts to disrupt PKGB’s attempts to reestablish supply chains and continue obtaining critical UAV parts from foreign sources.
The United States has reimposed strict sanctions on Venezuela’s oil sector, revoking all licenses granted under the Biden administration. President Donald Trump announced the policy shift, effective March 1, 2025, citing the Venezuelan government’s failure to uphold its commitments under a previous agreement. “I am hereby reversing the concessions that Crooked Joe Biden gave to Nicolás Maduro, of Venezuela, on the oil transaction agreement, dated November 26, 2022,” Trump stated.
As Moscow's war against Ukraine enters its fourth (or eleventh) year, the European Commission announced the Council's adoption of the 16th sanctions package against Russia. As is customary, the United Kingdom announced complementary sanctions. Unlike with prior initiatives, the United States did not join in the effort, reflecting the new rapprochement between Washington and the Kremlin. The 16th sanctions package intensifies restrictions on key sectors of Russia's economy, including energy, trade, transport, infrastructure, and financial services.
In 2024, probably for the first time ever, Europe (meaning the EU, UK, Switzerland and Norway), imposed and obtained a greater number of fines and convictions; a higher total value of fines; and also a higher single largest fine, for sanctions breaches than those imposed by the authorities in the United States. A note compiled by Mark Handley of Duane Morris, London, tallies combined enforcement actions taken by OFAC and BIS, as well as criminal convictions secured by the DOJ, as compared to their European peers.