A bipartisan group of four senators introduced a bill Dec. 16 to impose additional sanctions targeting Russia’s oil revenue.
The State Department is designating Colombia-based drug trafficking group Clan del Golfo a Foreign Terrorist Organization and Specially Designated Global Terrorist, the agency said in Federal Register notices released this week. The State Department called the group a "violent and powerful criminal organization with thousands of members," adding that it traffics cocaine and is responsible for attacks against public officials, law enforcement, military personnel and civilians in Colombia.
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A U.S. cryptocurrency trading software company this week agreed to pay more than $3 million to resolve allegations that it helped customers in Iran illegally access digital asset exchanges by suggesting they use virtual private networks to hide their location, violating U.S. sanctions.
Beijing this week sanctioned former Japanese senior military official Shigeru Iwasaki for accepting a role as a "political consultant" for the Taiwanese government, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Dec. 15 at a press conference. Iwasaki is "colluding with 'Taiwan independence' separatist forces and making provocations," the spokesperson said during a regular daily meeting with reporters. "This amounts to a severe violation of the one-China principle and the spirit of the four political documents between China and Japan, a blatant interference in China’s internal affairs, and a grave infringement on China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity." China designated Iwasaki under its Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law, which freezes any assets he may hold in China, blocks Chinese organizations and people from carrying out transactions with him, and more.
Sens. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., and Dave McCormick, R-Pa., introduced a companion Dec. 11 to a House bill that would authorize sanctions on the Yemen-based Houthis for various human rights violations, including unlawful killings. The Houthi Human Rights Accountability Act was referred to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., reintroduced the House version of the bill in March (see 2503070068).
The Senate approved a bill Dec. 11 that would give Taiwan the shorter formal congressional notification timelines and higher weapons value notification thresholds enjoyed by NATO members, plus Australia, Israel, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea (see 2505140001 and 2510220035).
A bipartisan, bicameral group of lawmakers introduced an export control bill Dec. 11 aimed at protecting biotechnology intellectual property from theft by China.
The U.N. Security Council last week removed Iraqi national Munir al Qubaysi from its sanctions lists. It didn't release more information. The U.S. sanctioned al Qubaysi in 2004 for links to former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein.
The Council of the EU on Dec. 15 renewed its sanctions on Venezuela for another year. The restrictions, which cover 69 people, now run until Jan. 10, 2027.