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Yesterday, the Treasury Department reported that OFAC had sanctioned six entities, one individual and two tankers that are based or registered in Liberia, India, Vietnam, Lebanon, and Kuwait that have engaged in facilitating commodity shipments and financial transactions for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF), the Houthis, and Hizballah.

Treasury also reported that OFAC had sanctioned 11 individuals and entities supporting the regime of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad through the facilitation of illicit financial transfers and trafficking of illegal drugs, as well as the extraction and export of Syrian commodities.

For the names and identification information of the designated individuals, entities, and vessels, see our March 26, 2024, BankersOnline OFAC Update.

Yesterday, the Treasury Department reported that OFAC had sanctioned thirteen entities and two individuals for operating in the financial services and technology sectors of the Russian Federation economy including persons developing or offering services in virtual assets that enable the evasion of U.S. sanctions. Five entities were designated for being owned or controlled by OFAC-designated persons.

Treasury also reported that OFAC had sanctioned Wuhan Xiaoruizhi Science and Technology Company, Limited (Wuhan XRZ), a Wuhan, China-based Ministry of State Security (MSS) front company that has served as cover for multiple malicious cyber operations. OFAC also designated Zhao Guangzong and Ni Gaobin, two Chinese nationals affiliated with Wuhan XRZ, for their roles in malicious cyber operations targeting U.S. entities that operate within U.S. critical infrastructure sectors, directly endangering U.S. national security.

For the names and identification information of all the designated parties, see the March 25, 2024, BankersOnline OFAC Update.

On Friday, Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo announced, alongside local leaders and law enforcement in Arizona, that OFAC had sanctioned operatives in a Black Market Peso Exchange scheme to launder millions in illicit fentanyl proceeds for the Sinaloa Cartel. OFAC designated 15 Sinaloa Cartel members—several of whom are fugitives—and six Mexico-based businesses pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 14059. The Sinaloa Cartel, which is one of the most notorious and pervasive drug trafficking organizations in the world, is responsible for a significant portion of the illicit fentanyl and other deadly drugs trafficked into the United States.

For the names and identification information of the designated parties, see the March 22, 2024, BankersOnline OFAC Update.

Yesterday, the Treasury Department announced that OFAC had targeted three procurement networks –– based in Iran, Türkiye, Oman, and Germany –– that have supported Iran’s ballistic missile, nuclear, and defense programs.

The Treasury Department also reported that OFAC had designated two individuals and two entities for services they provided the Government of the Russian Federation in connection with a foreign malign influence campaign, including attempting to impersonate legitimate media outlets.

For the names and identification information of the designated parties, see the March 20, 2024, BankersOnline OFAC Update.

On Friday, the Treasury Dapartment reported that OFAC had taken action against Marshall Islands-registered shipping company Vishnu Inc., whose vessel, the LADY SOFIA, is involved in illicit shipments to the People’s Republic of China in support of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force and Houthi financial facilitator Sa’id al-Jamal, who is sanctioned under U.S. counterterrorism authorities.

For identification information on Vishnu Inc. and the LADY SOFIA, see Friday's BankersOnline OFAC Update.

OFAC has announced a settlement with EFG International AG, a Switzerland-based global private banking group. EFG has agreed to pay $3,740,442 to settle its potential civil liability for processing 873 securities transactions in apparent violation of the Cuban Asset Control Regulations, the Kingpin Act, and Executive Order 14024. The settlement amount reflects OFAC’s determination that EFG’s apparent violations were voluntarily self-disclosed and were non-egregious. Further details are available in OFAC's enforcement release.

The Federal Reserve Board yesterday announced it has issued an enforcement action against JPMorgan Chase & Co., and fined the firm approximately $98.2 million for an inadequate program for monitoring firm and client trading activities for market misconduct. The Board's action requires JPMorgan Chase to review and take corrective action to address the firm's inadequate monitoring practices, which occurred between 2014 and 2023.

The Board's action was taken in coordination with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. The penalties announced by the Board and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency total approximately $348.2 million.

The OCC's assessment of a $250 million civil money penalty against JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. was also announced yesterday. The OCC reported it found that the bank operated with gaps in trading venue coverage and without adequate data controls required to maintain an effective trade surveillance program.

Generally, trading venues are systems or electronic platforms, operated by investment firms or market operators, that bring together multiple third party buying or selling interests in financial instruments to perform a transaction. The OCC expects banks to perform trade surveillance to monitor the market conduct of its traders and clients as part of its market conduct risk control framework. The OCC found that the bank failed to surveil billions of instances of trading activity on at least 30 global trading venues. These gaps and deficiencies in the bank’s trade surveillance program constitute unsafe or unsound banking practices.

Yesterday, the Treasury Department reported that OFAC had designated three individuals who have contributed to Specially Designated National (SDN) and Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik’s efforts to undermine the peace and stability of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) by organizing and executing the commemoration of “Republika Srpska Day” on January 9, 2024, an activity determined to be unconstitutional in BiH. These individuals facilitated Dodik’s efforts to undermine the Dayton Peace Agreement and the authority of the BiH Constitutional Court and the High Representative.

For the names and identification information of the designated individuals, see yesterday's BankersOnline OFAC Update.

The Treasury Department yesterday reported that OFAC has acted in coordination with the Kingdom of Bahrain against key Iran-based operatives and a financial facilitator for designated terrorist group Al-Ashtar Brigades. The Department of State designated Al-Ashtar Brigades as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist in 2018.

For the names and identification information of the designated individuals, see yesterday's BankersOnline OFAC Update.

FinCEN has reported that the Government has filed a Notice of Appeal in National Small Business United v. Yellen. The appeal was filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.