The Office of Foreign Assets Control deleted three people from its Specially Designated Nationals List this week: Mounir Ben Habib Jarraya, Tatiana Ryabikova and Vladimir Santic. Jarraya was sanctioned in 2003 for ties to terrorism, and Ryabikova was sanctioned in 2022 for being an employee of Viktor Artemov, who was designated for helping to export Iranian oil. The reason for Santic's original U.S. designation is unclear, although he was convicted more than two decades ago for crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, an ad hoc U.N. court that was established to prosecute war crimes committed during the Yugoslav Wars. OFAC didn't release information about why they were removed from the SDN List.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week sanctioned dozens of people, entities and ships that are helping to move and sell oil for the Iranian government and fund its military. The designations target companies and people in the United Arab Emirates, Panama, Greece, India, Germany and other countries, and six ships flying the flags of Panama, Gambia and Palau for providing logistics services for the sales, acting as front companies for the sales, helping to charter vessels and more.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control and the U.K.'s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation this week sanctioned Media Land, a Russia-based hosting service provider, for supporting ransomware operations and other cybercrimes. The two countries also sanctioned Media Land employees and associates Aleksandr Volosovik, Kirill Zatolokin and Yulia Pankova and a Media Land sister company, ML.Cloud.
The State Department issued Federal Register notices to officially label four Antifa groups in Europe Specially Designated Global Terrorists and Foreign Terrorist Organizations. The designations, effective Nov. 20, apply to Antifa Ost, Informal Anarchist Federation/International Revolutionary Front, Armed Proletarian Justice, and Revolutionary Class Self-Defense. The agency first announced the designations earlier this month, saying the groups have engaged in various politically motivated violent activities (see 2511130036).
The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week sanctioned Ryan James Wedding, a former Olympic snowboarder for Canada, for being an "extremely violent criminal" believed to be responsible for the killing of people abroad and for involvement in drug trafficking and "other serious criminal activities." OFAC said Wedding is on the FBI's 10 most wanted list and is "hiding" in Mexico.
A potential buyer of Russian energy firm Lukoil's international business will need to obtain a separate authorization from the Office of Foreign Assets Control -- aside from the agency's existing general license for the firm -- to complete the sale, OFAC said in a new FAQ this week.
Nature’s Sunshine Products, a dietary supplement manufacturer headquartered in Utah, said it recently submitted final voluntary disclosures related to possible violations of U.S. sanctions and export controls.
Kodiak Gas Services, a natural gas company headquartered in Texas, likely made payments involving people “associated” with Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists, the company disclosed in an SEC filing this month.
The State Department plans to label Venezuela-based Cartel de los Soles a Foreign Terrorist Organization for its role in "terrorist violence throughout our hemisphere" and trafficking drugs into the U.S., the agency said Nov. 16. The cartel already was labeled a Specially Designated Global Terrorist earlier this year, and the FTO label would subject the group to more financial restrictions (see 2507270002). At least one lawmaker has urged the Trump administration to designate Cartel de los Soles an FTO (see 2503280033).
The Office of Foreign Assets Control issued four new or amended Russia-related general licenses Nov. 14. General License 124B, which replaces 124A, authorizes petroleum services and other transactions related to the Caspian Pipeline Consortium, Tengizchevroil and Karachaganak projects. General License 128A, which replaces 128, authorizes certain transactions involving Lukoil retail service stations located outside Russia. General License 130 authorizes transactions involving certain Lukoil entities in Bulgaria, and General License 131 authorizes certain transactions for the negotiation of and entry into contingent contracts for the sale of Lukoil International GmbH and related maintenance activities.