The U.N. Security Council and the U.K. this week removed two people from their ISIL (Da’esh) and al-Qaida Sanctions lists. Sanctions no longer apply to Abd al-Aziz Aday Zimin al-Fadhil and Hamad Awad Dahi Sarhan al-Shammari, who were listed under the U.K.'s regime as Kuwait-based financial service providers for al-Qaida.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week sanctioned three people and one entity with ties to Mexico’s Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG), a sanctions arms trafficking organization. The designations target two senior CJNG members -- Alonso Guerrero Covarrubias and Javier Guerrero Covarrubias -- as well as Mary Cruz Rodriguez Aguirre, who directs a money laundering network on behalf of CJNG using currency exchange house Nacer Agencia Panamericana de Divisas y Centro Cambiario, S.A. de C.V.
The Bureau of Industry and Security is working on a new final rule that could expand its nuclear nonproliferation export controls. BIS sent the rule for interagency review June 5, according to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs.
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The U.S. announced new sanctions this week against people and entities in China, Hong Kong and Iran for helping Iran procure “sensitive and critical parts and technology” for its ballistic missile programs. The “network” has also helped the Iranian government conduct financial transactions in support of its missile development efforts and aided the country’s Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL), as well as other affiliated procurement organizations, the Office of Foreign Assets Control said.
The U.S. should push the World Trade Organization to end trade-related intellectual property waiver conditions, experts told a House subcommittee this week, saying the waiver may help China acquire sensitive U.S. technologies and leapfrog American innovation in biopharma. Several experts during the hearing suggested the waivers could act as a loophole to U.S. export controls and allow Chinese companies to better compete with the U.S. in the biotechnology industry.
The Bank of Lithuania found that electronic money platform Transactive Systems UAB "seriously and systematically infringed anti-money laundering and counter terrorist financing" requirements, following an investigation. As a result, the bank fined the institution over $300,000 and revoked its license to provide financial services. The bank said Transactive System's main infringements were a failure to "properly identify clients, their representatives and beneficiaries," the enabling the opening of anonymous virtual accounts and a failure to ensure "adequate monitoring of business relationships and transactions." The bank added that the platform failed to make sure that international financial sanctions and restrictive measures were properly implemented.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control published previously issued general licenses under its Belarus Sanctions Regulations in three separate notices. The full text of each license is available in the notices.
The U.N. Security Council on June 2 amended a Libya-related entry on its sanctions list. The UNSC revised identifying information for Merai Abdefattah Khalil Zoghbi, who has ties to the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week sanctioned seven members of a “malign influence group” with ties to Russian government intelligence. The designations target Konstantin Prokopyevich Sapozhnikov, Yury Yuryevich Makolov, Gleb Maksimovich Khloponin, Svetlana Andreyevna Boyko, Aleksey Vyacheslavovich Losev, Vasily Viktorovich Gromovikov and Anna Travnikova, all of whom are involved in efforts to “destabilize” the Moldovan government. OFAC also sanctioned Perko Julleuchter, a workshop that produces ceramic lanterns, which is owned by Losev.