The Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control announced sanctions on a Chinese national and a Chinese entity under OFAC’s Iran-related sanctions regime, the agency said in a notice. OFAC is sanctioning Youmin Li and Zhuhai Zhenrong Company Limited, an entity with addresses in Beijing and Guangdong, OFAC said. Both Youmin and Zhuhai Zhenrong were added to OFAC’s Specially Designated Nationals List.
OFAC sanction activity
The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control is inserting technical changes and adding references in several of its sanctions regimes, OFAC said in a notice in the July 23 Federal Register. The changes amend the Global Terrorism Sanctions Regulations (GTSR) and the Transnational Criminal Organizations Sanctions Regulations (TCOSR) to make references to the Hizballah International Financing Prevention Amendments Act of 2018, OFAC said. The agency is also amending the GTSR to “implement and reference” the Sanctioning the Use of Civilians as Defenseless Shields Act of 2018 and amending the TCOSR to implement a March executive order relating to “significant transnational criminal organizations.” The notice also makes several “technical and conforming changes” to certain provisions of the Hizballah Financial Sanctions Regulations, which corrects two “internal references” and details sanctions exemptions that allow for U.S. compliance with United Nations regulations, OFAC said. The changes take effect July 23.
The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned four officials of Venezuela’s General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence accused of human rights abuses, Treasury said in a July 19 press release. The sanctioned officials are: Division General Rafael Ramón Blanco Marrero, Colonel Hannover Esteban Guerrero Mijares, Major Alexander Enrique Granko Arteaga and Colonel Rafael Antonio Franco Quintero. The sanctions follow alleged human rights abuses involved in the arrest, torture and death of Venezuelan Navy Captain Rafael Acosta Arévalo, Treasury said. OFAC used Acosta’s death as justification for sanctioning the Venezuelan military agency on July 11 (see 1907110040).
The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control announced sanctions on a senior member of Hizballah’s External Security Organization (ESO), which planned terrorist attacks near Lebanon, Treasury said in a July 19 press release. Salman Raouf Salman was added to OFAC’s Specially Designated Nationals List, the agency said. Hizballah’s ESO, the group’s “elite unit” run by U.S.-sanctioned Talal Hamiyah, carries out Hizballah’s international missions, the press release said. Salman is responsible for the group’s foreign operations in Lebanon and terrorism-related activities elsewhere, including in Buenos Aires, Panama, Colombia and Brazil, Treasury said.
The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned a “network of front companies and agents involved” in procuring enriched uranium for Iran’s nuclear program, Treasury said in a July 18 press release. The entities and people are based in Iran, China and Belgium and worked as a “procurement network” for Iran’s Centrifuge Technology Company, which produces centrifuges in facilities belonging to the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Treasury said.
The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned four Iraqi nationals for human rights violations, Treasury said in a July 17 press release. Two are “militia figures” and two are former Iraqi governors, Treasury said. Rayan al-Kildani and Waad Qado, leaders of Iraqi militias, were designated for human rights abuses that include “intimidation, extortion, robbery, kidnapping” and other violent acts. Nawfal Hammadi al-Sultan and Ahmed al-Jubouri, two former government officials, were designated for corruption, smuggling, misusing funds and other charges. All four were designated under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act.
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The Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned Bah Ag Moussa for acting on behalf of a West African terrorist group and its leader, Treasury said in a July 16 press release. OFAC designated Moussa as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist for working with the group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), which was so designated in 2018, Treasury said.
A group of U.S. venture capital funds is suing the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, alleging that OFAC’s 50 percent rule is unconstitutional, court records show. The lawsuit says the rule -- which bans companies and people from dealing with entities owned 50 percent or more by a sanctioned party -- unlawfully prevented the plaintiffs from accessing their money, property and investments, violating unreasonable seizure and due process laws under the Fourth and Fifth amendments to the Constitution, respectively.
The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned Venezuela’s General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence, also known as La Dirección General de Contrainteligencia Militar (DGCIM), for operating in the country’s military sector, Treasury said in a July 11 press release.