- The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated six individuals and entities tied to Cartel del Noreste (CDN)—one of Mexico’s most violent drug trafficking organizations—including two CDN-affiliated casinos used for money laundering and drug operations near the U.S.-Mexico border.
- OFAC’s actions are the latest examples of a broader
OFAC Issues New General Licenses Authorizing Broad PdVSA Transactions
On March 18 and 19, 2026, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued two new Venezuela-related general licenses: General License No. 52 (GL 52), authorizing most previously prohibited transactions involving Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PdVSA) and General License No. 5V (GL 5V), authorizing further transactions related to the…
OFAC Sanctions Rwanda’s Military
In what amounts to a material expansion of its existing sanctions program arising out of the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (“DRC”), on March 2, 2026, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) announced sanctions against the Rwanda Defence Force (“RDF”)—an organization described by OFAC as Rwanda’s…
OFAC Launches New Online Voluntary Self-Disclosure Portal
On February 6, 2026, the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Controls (OFAC) announced the launch of a new online Voluntary Self-Disclosure (VSD) Portal (the “New Portal”) intended to replace and reduce reliance on ad hoc submission methods with a more secure channel for reporting to OFAC potential sanctions violations. OFAC states that…
Altomare SA and Kallista Removed from OFAC’s SDN List
On January 21, 2026, the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced the removal of Greek maritime company Altomare SA and its vessel, Kallista, from the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons Lists (SDN List).
OFAC originally designated Altomare SA and Kallista in November 2025 as part of a counter terrorism sanctions action…
The Maximum Pressure Campaign Escalates: OFAC Designates a Chinese Refiner of Iranian Crude
On March 20, 2025, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) designated the “teapot” Chinese oil refinery Shandong Shouguang Luqing Petrochemical Co., Ltd. (“Luqing Petrochemical”), its chief executive officer, eight vessels, and eleven vessel owners, managers, and operators, on OFAC’s List of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (“SDN List”).
OFAC Publishes Guidance on Extended Statute of Limitations
On July 22, 2024, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) released guidance (“Guidance”) on how it will implement the new authority it was granted in the April 24, 2024 National Security Supplemental (“the Act”). The Act extended the statute of limitations for civil, criminal, and forfeiture violations of sanctions…
Commerce, Treasury, DOJ Publish Tri-Seal Sanctions and Export Control Compliance Note
On March 6, 2024, the Department of Commerce, the Department of the Treasury, and the Department of Justice published a Tri-Seal Compliance Note titled “Obligations of foreign-based persons to comply with U.S. sanctions and export control laws” (the “Note”). The Note stresses that U.S. persons are not the only entities subject to U.S. sanctions and…
BIS/OFAC Announce New Sanctions and Entity List Designations on Two-Year Anniversary of Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine
Feb. 23, 2024–Today, following the death of opposition politician and anti-corruption activist Aleksey Navalny, and after two years of Russia’s unprovoked and unlawful full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) imposed additional export restrictions on 93 entities under 95 entries in Russia and seven other destinations. Sixty-three of the…
Venezuelan Sanctions: Relaxations in Jeopardy
Earlier this week, the U.S. government partially re-implemented certain recently relaxed sanctions against Venezuela. According to a statement released by the United States Department of State on January 30th, the absence of meaningful progress in allowing candidates of the opposition Unitary Platform to stand for office in the upcoming Venezuelan presidential election has…