DOJ Announces Task Force to Lead Russian Sanctions Enforcement
The Department of Justice announced March 2 that it is setting up an interagency task force to enforce the deluge of sanctions imposed by the U.S. against Russia following its assault on Ukraine. Called Task Force KleptoCapture, it will be run by the Office of the Deputy Attorney General.
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The task force's mandate is to investigate and prosecute violations of current and future sanctions on Russia, fight efforts to undermine the restrictions employed against Russian financial institutions, root out efforts to use cryptocurrency to evade the sanctions, and use civil and criminal asset forfeiture authorities to seize assets belonging to sanctioned individuals and entities, DOJ said. Efforts will include prosecuting any party that attempts to evade the know-your-customer and anti-money laundering measures and using "cutting-edge investigative techniques," including cryptocurrency trading and data analytics to root out sanctions evasion.
An unnamed veteran corruption prosecutor from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York will lead the task force, which will "complement the work of the transatlantic task force announced by the President and leaders of the European Commission, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, and Canada," DOJ said.
“The Justice Department will use all of its authorities to seize the assets of individuals and entities who violate these sanctions,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said. “We will leave no stone unturned in our efforts to investigate, arrest, and prosecute those whose criminal acts enable the Russian government to continue this unjust war. Let me be clear: if you violate our laws, we will hold you accountable.”