The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued a final rule amending the Global Terrorism Sanctions Regulations and the Terrorism Sanctions Regulations (TSR), effective June 27. The technical amendments clarify the scope of prohibitions on making donations, and amends the TSR to add a definition of the term “financial, material, or technological support.” Another amendment to TSR sets the maximum term of maturity for instruments in which funds may be invested or held within a blocked interest-bearing account at 180 days. Lastly, an amendment corrects a clerical error within the Foreign Terrorist Organizations Sanctions Regulations.
The governing body of men’s professional tennis circuits agreed to pay more than $48,000 to settle allegations of Iranian Transactions Regulations violations -- caused by multiple salary payments to a tournament official who resides in Iran -- the Office of Foreign Assets Control announced June 12. ATP Tour, Inc., a nonprofit organization based in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, agreed to pay $48,600 to settle potential civil liability, OFAC said. The agency alleges that between May 8, 2007 and July 15, 2010, ATP approved, facilitated and in some instances made 18 salary payments to an individual who is ordinarily a resident of Iran. The payments were for “services rendered and expenses incurred in connection with ATP tournaments the individual officiated,” OFAC said.
The Departments of State and Treasury issued limited waivers allowing the export and reexport of U.S.-origin reconstruction items such as agricultural equipment, to opposition-controlled areas of Syria June 12. The new license policy will also allow U.S. companies to engage in transactions with Syria’s oil, agricultural and telecommunications sectors. The actions "still require companies interested in engaging in these transactions to come in and get specific licenses," said a senior State Department official in a June 12 briefing call (read the transcript here). "That ensures that relevant U.S. governments can review specific transactions to make sure that specifically sanctioned entities aren’t able to participate in those transactions and that those transactions are actually for the benefit of the Syrian people."
The Office of Foreign Assets Control added the following individuals and entities to its Specially Designated Nationals List June 12. All were added under Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Sanctions Regulations unless otherwise noted.
The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control added the following individuals to the Specially Designated Nationals List June 11. All were added under Global Terrorism Sanctions Regulations.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control added the following individual to its Specially Designated Nationals List June 6:
The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control added the following individuals to the Specially Designated Nationals List June 5. All were added under Transnational Criminal Organizations Designations, which stems from a 2011 Executive Order that authorized additional actions to combat transnational organized crime. The individuals named are listed as leaders of the notorious Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13 gang, which has roots in El Salvador.
The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control added the following entities to its Specially Designated Nationals List on June 4. All were added under Iranian Transaction Regulations.
The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control added the following entities to the Specially Designated Nationals list on May 31:
The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control added the following individual to its Specially Designated Nationals List May 30, added under a 2010 Executive Order that blocks property of certain people for human rights abuses by Iran’s government.