Monday, December 13th
- The EU Council designated Wagner Group, a Russia-based unincorporated private military entity, eight individuals and three entities related to it. The EU council used four different sanctions regimes for its designations. One of the individuals, Dmitry Valerievich Utkin, was designated under two different programs.OFAC had designated the Wagner Group and its founder back in 2017. (Council's Decisions, press release), the U.S. Department of State's press release cheering the EU actions)
- The EU Council also adopted another sanctions-related decision. It expanded the designation criteria under the Mali regime. (Council's Decision, press release)
- OFSI announced upcoming enhancements to its sanctions lists. (Here)
- The U.S. Department of State imposed travel restrictions (a type of sanctions) on wildlife traffickers in DRC. In doing so the Department of State used the authority granted under section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. (Here)
Tuesday, December 14th
- No major update on this day.
Wednesday, December 15th
- The President of the U.S. issued two executive orders to fight transnational crimes and to strengthen the U.S. efforts in fight against illicit drug trade. (Establishing the U.S. Council on Transnational Organized Crime and Imposing Sanctions on Foreign Persons Involved in the Global Illicit Drug Trade ) The latter executive order expanded the Treasury's ability to designate a range of persons involved in illicit drug trade. The new authority provides the Department of Treasury with a menu of sanctions to pick from and impose against those determined to fall under any of the designations criteria. A difference this executive order has with others which established sanctions is a dedicated section to the actions of the heads of the relevant executive departments and agencies to implement sanctions. Concurrent with the issuance of the executive order, OFAC designated 10 individuals and 15 entities under this new authority which carries the tag of [ILLICIT-DRUGS-EO]. (Here, Department of Treasury's press release, Department of State's press release, the White House Fact Sheet)
Thursday, December 16th
- OFAC added eight companies to its Non-SDN Chinese Military-Industrial Complex Companies (NS-CMIC) list. (Here, press release)
- BIS added 37 entities to the entity list due to their alleged role in China's surveillance programs. (Here, Department of Commerce press release, Department of State press release)
Friday, December 17th
- OFAC designated one individual under its Central African Republic sanctions program. (Here, Department of Treasury's press release, Department of State's press release)
Recommendation of the week
- Yet another busy week for those in the sanctions world! On top of all that happened and I listed above there were two AML/CFT developments. First, FinCEN issued a request for information seeking comments on ways to streamline, modernize, and update the anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) regime of the United States. Second, the Department of State issued its annual Country Reports on Terrorism.
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