The Office of Foreign Assets Control published previously issued General License 8G under its Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions Regulations. The full text of the license is available in the notice.

The Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network is seeking public comments on two information collections involving the designations of the Commercial Bank of Syria as a money laundering institution and Iran as a money laundering jurisdiction. The designations prohibit certain dealings with the bank and Iran and set certain reporting requirements. Comments are due June 30.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned two Syrian money service businesses this week, saying they help the Syrian regime, run by Bashar al-Assad, and its sanctioned allies access the international financial system. The designations target Damascus-based Al-Fadel Exchange along with the three brothers that own the company -- Fadel Ma’ruf Balwi, Mut’i Ma’ruf Balwi and Muhammad Ma’ruf Balwi -- and Al-Adham Exchange Company, also based in Damascus. The businesses have helped transfer millions of dollars to accounts at the U.S.-sanctioned Central Bank of Syria to benefit the Syrian government, OFAC said.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week sanctioned 17 people and entities involved in selling equipment used to make illegal drugs, including seven entities and six people based in China and one entity and three people in Mexico. The designations target companies that supply pill press machines, die molds and other equipment used to “impress counterfeit trade markings of legitimate pharmaceuticals onto illicitly produced pills,” including China-based Youli Technology Development Co. and Yason General Machinery along with Mexico-based Mexpacking Solutions. The agency also sanctioned the owners and employees of those companies and others.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control published four previously issued general licenses under its Cyber-Related, Non-Proliferation, and Hostages and Wrongfully Detained U.S. Nationals sanctions programs. The full text of each license is available in the notice.

The Biden administration should continue to designate members of Russia’s Wagner Group, Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, said last week, adding that Russia's President Vladimir Putin is using the military company as a “weapon of malign influence.” McCaul on May 25 called for “the expanded use of sanctions to target Wagner and its enablers throughout Africa, in Ukraine and around the globe.” The Treasury Department last week sanctioned a senior Mali-based Wagner Group official (see 2305250045).

The Office of Foreign Assets Control on May 25 removed more than 20 entries from its Specially Designated Nationals List. The entries were originally added for counter-narcotics sanctions reasons and include people and companies located in Colombia and Venezuela. OFAC didn’t provide more information.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week sanctioned Ivan Aleksandrovich Maslov, a Mali-based official with the sanctioned Russian private military company Wagner Group. Maslov purportedly leads the Wagner Group’s mercenary units in Mali, working as part of an organization that has committed “widespread human rights abuses” and may be trying to evade sanctions on imports of military equipment for use against Ukraine, the Treasury Department said.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week sanctioned 26 people and entities with ties to the terrorist group al-Shabaab, including 15 “financial facilitators and operatives,” four smugglers of charcoal from Somalia and seven of their associated companies. OFAC said the designations target “key regional leaders, affiliates, and members” of the terrorist group in Somalia. Among those sanctioned are al-Shabaab commanders, an intelligence officer, a donations collector and various charcoal traders and their companies.

The U.N. Security Council this week updated its recommendations on procedures and notification requirements related to inspections of ships suspected of carrying charcoal from Somalia or seizures of charcoal from Somalia. The guidance is meant to help U.N. states “take the necessary steps to ensure full and effective implementation of the ban” on Somalia charcoal and outlines steps countries should take before and after ship inspections.