The Directorate of Defense Trade Controls issued a series of frequently asked questions on Jan. 6 as part of guidance related to U.S. people exporting defense services abroad. The guidance clarifies questions related to registration and authorization requirements and details the process for obtaining authorization.
The Department of Commerce denied Edgar Sanchez-Muro export privileges after he was convicted of violating the Arms Export Control Act by illegally exporting 980 rounds of ammunition from the U.S. to Mexico, Commerce said in a Dec. 31 notice. Sanchez-Muro was convicted June 19, 2019, and sentenced to one year in prison and a $100 fine. Commerce revoked Sanchez-Muro’s export privileges for five years from his date of conviction.
The Department of Commerce denied Resit Tavan’s export privileges after he was convicted of conspiring to violate U.S. sanctions, Commerce said in a Dec. 31 notice. Tavan attempted to illegally export “specialized marine equipment” from the U.S. to Iran without the required license, Commerce said. He was convicted Aug. 29, 2019, and sentenced to 28 months in prison and a $100 fine. Commerce revoked Tavan’s export privileges for 10 years from his date of conviction.
The Department of Commerce denied Ruben Beltran-Ramos export privileges after he was convicted of violating the Arms Export Control Act, Commerce said in a Dec. 31 notice. Beltran-Ramos illegally exported 5,000 cartridges of ammunition from the U.S. to Mexico without a license, Commerce said. He was convicted Nov. 20, 2018, and sentenced to 26 months in prison and a $100 fine. Commerce revoked Beltran-Ramos’ export privileges for 10 years from his date of conviction.
President Donald Trump threatened sanctions against Iraq following a Jan. 5 vote by the country's parliament to expel U.S. troops. The threat comes amid growing tension in the Middle East as Iran further decommitted from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and Europe scrambled to keep the deal from disintegrating, which could trigger European snapback sanctions against Iran.
Suzanne Kane and Chiara Klaui were named partners at Akin Gump, the law firm said in an emailed Jan. 3 news release. Kane's “work includes advising clients on mitigating the impact of the administration’s trade policies, particularly tariffs; representing clients in Customs and Border Protection enforcement actions, audits and internal investigations; counseling clients on intellectual property rights and forced labor compliance; and helping clients devise compliance programs.” the firm said. Klaui “is the go-to lawyer for clients seeking counsel on European Union (EU) export controls and trade sanctions and their interaction with, in particular, U.S. trade regulations.” Kane is based in Washington, while Klaui is in the firm's London office.
The Agriculture Transportation Coalition applauded a California judge’s decision to temporarily block a law the group said would hurt exports through higher trucking costs, according to an emailed press release. The judge granted a temporary restraining order that blocks the legislation, AB 5, which would make it harder for gig economy companies to qualify workers as independent contractors as opposed to employees, according to a Jan. 1 Reuters report. The AgTC said the law, if enacted, would “wreak havoc on trucking in California and on the hundreds of thousands employed in U.S. agriculture/forest products exports.”
The U.S. designated Aas’ib Ahl al-Haq (AAH) a foreign terrorist organization and sanctioned two of its leaders, Qays (also known as Qais) al-Khazali and Laith al-Khazali, both Iraqi nationals, the State Department said in a Jan. 3 press release. The sanctions are aimed at denying AAH and its leadership the “resources to plan and carry out terrorist attacks,” the State Department said. The agency said the group and its leaders are backed by Iran, and their efforts are aimed at undermining “Iraqi sovereignty.” Qays and Laith were previously sanctioned by the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control in December (see 1912060022). OFAC updated identifying information for both individuals, according to a Jan. 3 notice.
The State Department sanctioned Leopoldo Cintra Frias, minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Cuba, due to human rights violations, the agency said in a Jan. 2 press release. The State Department also sanctioned his children: Deborah Cintra Gonzalez and Leopoldo Cintra Gonzalez. Frias has been involved in supporting the Nicolas Maduro regime in Venezuela, the press release said. Designated individuals and their immediate family members are ineligible for entry into the United States.
A Texas federal court vacated a $2 million penalty imposed on ExxonMobil by the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control for sanctions violations, in a decision issued Dec. 31. The Northern Texas U.S. District Court ruled that OFAC did not provide ExxonMobil “fair notice that their conduct was prohibited.” The decision stems from a lawsuit filed in August (see 1908280031) against OFAC, in which ExxonMobil alleged its business dealings with Rosneft, the Russian oil company owned by sanctioned oligarch Igor Sechin, did not warrant a sanctions penalty.