The Office of Foreign Assets Control designated the Abid Ali Khan Transnational Criminal Organization for the “unlawful smuggling of foreign nationals,” the agency said. OFAC also sanctioned Pakistani national Abid Ali Khan, the group's leader, and three of his associates: Redi Hussein Khal Gul, Shakeel Karim and Mohammed Choudry Ikram Waraich. The agency announced the sanctions April 7 (see 2104070033).
The Office of Foreign Assets Control amended the base civil penalty amount for certain sanctions violations to reflect inflation adjustments for its civil monetary penalties, it said in a notice. The change, effective April 12, revises the definition for OFAC’s “applicable schedule amount,” which establishes a base penalty for non-egregious sanctions violations cases that do not involve a voluntary self-disclosure. For transactions valued at $200,000 or more, the applicable schedule amount will be $311,562, which is the maximum civil monetary penalty amount for a violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, OFAC said. The agency said these changes were not required but done so that its base penalties “correspond appropriately” to OFAC’s civil monetary penalties, which are adjusted annually for inflation. OFAC last revised the applicable schedule amount definition in August 2020 (see 2008100012).
The Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned Myanma Gems Enterprise, a state-owned entity responsible for “all gemstone activities” in Myanmar, OFAC said April 8. The agency said gemstones are a “key economic resource” for the Myanmar military regime “that is violently repressing pro-democracy protests in the country.”
The Office of Foreign Assets Control is seeking comments on the agency’s information collection requirements in its Reporting, Procedures and Penalties Regulations, OFAC said in a notice released April 7. The information collection covers reports required by OFAC that are reviewed by the Department of the Treasury and may be used for compliance, civil penalty and enforcement purposes by the agency. Comments are due June 7.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control on April 7 added four people and two entities to its Specially Designated Nationals List. The designated entries have addresses in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates, including the Abid Ali Khan Transnational Criminal Organization. OFAC didn’t provide more information on the designations, and an agency spokesperson didn’t comment.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control on April 6 sanctioned three people and two entities for their association with the sanctioned Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG). The designations target Carlos Andres Rivera Varela and Francisco Javier Gudino Haro, two CJNG members who have helped carry out assassinations for the Mexican drug cartel. OFAC also sanctioned travel agent Alejandro Chacon Miranda, who helps book travel for senior CJNG members, and his company Dale Tours. Also sanctioned was Gudio Haro’s company Agricola Costa Alegre S.P.R. de R.L., an agricultural company.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control mistakenly sanctioned a restaurant owner in Italy, his company and an Italian graphic design company before deleting the designations last week (see 2103310018), Reuters reported April 1. The designations, issued during the final days of the Trump administration (see 2101190017), targeted Alessandro Bazzoni, the owner of a pizzeria in Italy, according to the report. The sanctions were intended to target a different Alessandro Bazzoni, whom the administration said was involved in a sanctions evasions network operating in Venezuela. The Italy-based Bazzoni told Reuters the designations were a “mistake.” OFAC didn’t comment.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control issued guidance April 5 clarifying that it generally won’t pursue sanctions against humanitarian-related transactions or exports to Syria as long as the items wouldn’t normally require an OFAC license. The guidance was issued about a week after the U.S. committed to providing more humanitarian aid to respond to the Syria crisis.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control on April 5 removed three entries from its Specially Designated Nationals List following the U.S.’s decision to rescind its sanctions regime targeting the International Criminal Court. President Joe Biden revoked a Trump-era executive order last week that had authorized the sanctions, which the State Department called “inappropriate and ineffective” (see 2104020046).
The Office of Foreign Assets Control issued a cautionary letter but did not fine Asana, the U.S. company behind a team-management and organization app, Asana said in its March 30 Securities and Exchange Commission filing. Asana said it submitted a voluntary self-disclosure to OFAC after possibly providing services to sanctioned parties and illegally exporting controlled software. OFAC told Asana in February that it wouldn't pursue a civil monetary penalty against the company or “take other enforcement action,” according to the filing. The company also disclosed export violations to the Bureau of Industry and Security, which also issued a warning letter with no fine (see 2012300067).