KYC | Certain Risk

UK Sanctions Leaders of Sudanese Army and Paramilitary Group over Atrocities

The UK on Thursday imposed new sanctions on six individuals it says are fueling Sudan’s war, including through the recruitment of foreign fighters and financing of military operations.

Uzbek Mining Giant Awards $200m in Tenders to Secretive Network of Foreign Firms

Uzbekistan’s state-owned mining giant Almalyk Mining-Metallurgical Complex (AMMC) has awarded more than $200 million in procurement tenders to 10 foreign firms whose ownership and business activity are murky, including companies that reported themselves as “dormant” or “inactive,” OCCRP reported.

A 2019 photo of Francisco de Borbon von Hardenberg. — “Francisco de Borbon von Hardenberg.jpg” by Jeremiae, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Edited from the original.

Spain’s Top Economic-Crimes Cop and Royal Scion Accused of Running Drug Ring

A Spanish police corruption investigation has widened into a narcotics and money-laundering scandal that links a senior economic-crimes investigator and a son of the Duke of Seville to an international drug-trafficking ring, The Times reported.

A photo of Jeffrey Epstein standing on a street in New York.

Epstein Invested Millions in Coinbase Six Years after Child Prostitution Conviction

Convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein made an early investment into Coinbase Global Inc. in 2014, putting roughly $3 million into the crypto exchange, according to emails released by the U.S. Department of Justice and reviewed by Decrypt.

Rep. Chuck Grassley asks U.S. Customs and Border Protection Acting Deputy Commissioner Ronald D. Vitiello questions during testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Subcommittee on Border Security and Immigration, during a hearing entitled "Building America's Trust through Border Security: Progress on the Southern Border" in Washington, D.C., May 23, 2017. U.S. Customs and Border Protection Photo by Glenn Fawcett

Probe Turns Up New Historical Ties Between Credit Suisse and Nazis, Senator Says

A U.S. senator said late Monday that an ongoing investigation into Credit Suisse’s historical ties to Nazi Germany has identified “hundreds” of accounts with potential links to Nazi-era officials and industrialists, including fresh evidence of the bank’s relationship with the SS, Bloomberg reported.

On Tuesday, President Trump hosted the UAE National Security Advisor, @hhtbzayed, for a meeting in the Oval Office followed by dinner with @VP Vance and several members of the Cabinet. The UAE National Security Advisor, who was visiting Washington at the direction of the UAE President, HH Sheikh @MohamedBinZayed, was joined by an extensive delegation including the heads of major UAE Sovereign Wealth Funds and corporations.

UAE Royal Bought Stake in Trump’s World Liberty Ahead of Controversial AI-Chip Deal

An Abu Dhabi royal secretly backed a $500-million deal to buy nearly half of a Trump-linked cryptocurrency venture months before the United Arab Emirates secured expanded access to tightly controlled U.S. artificial-intelligence chips, The Wall Street Journal reported.

A photo of a framed photograph of Jeffrey Epstein and another figure whose face has been redacted.

Latest Tranche of Epstein Files Names Dozens of Sex-Trafficking Victims

The U.S. Justice Department’s latest release of documents on its investigation of Jeffrey Epstein includes the personally identifiable information of dozens of sex-trafficking victims, according to new analysis by The Wall Street Journal.

A photo of a Bank of Scotland branch in Halifax — “Bank of Scotland Halifax” — Secret Pilgrim, via Flickr — CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/) — Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/umdrums/2828957108 — Edited from the original.

Bank of Scotland Fined £160,000 for Failing to Flag Blacklisted Putin Ally

The UK’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) has levied a £160,000 monetary penalty on Lloyds Banking Group for violations of Russia sanctions made by its subsidiary Bank of Scotland Plc.

Banco Santander, Punta Arenas at the south corner of Plaza Muñoz Gamero (also known as Plaza de Armas) at the junction of Avenidas 21 de Mayo and Pantano. — Robert Cutts, “Banco Santander, Punta Arenas” (2015), Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://www.flickr.com/photos/panr/17020952200/ (edited from the original: cropped and text/graphics added). License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/

Santander Fined Over €40mn for AML Violations at Digital Unit

Banco Santander has been fined more than €40 million by Spain’s anti-money laundering (AML) watchdog Sepblac for past shortcomings in internal processes at its digital unit.

Groundbreaking ceremony of a new hanger at the Pleasanton Airport in Pleasanton Texas, on May 28, 2025. The Master of Ceremonies is Ernie Gonzalez, Jr., and the speakers include Pleasanton City Manager Johnny Huizar, Pleasanton Airport Director J.J. Roberts, Cope Engineering Vice President Brian M. Cope, P.E., U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) Community Programs Director in Texas Michael Canales, U.S. Congressman Henry Cuellar, and Pleasanton Mayor J.R. Gallegos. After speaking they took part in the groundbreaking ceremony. In 2022 U.S. Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28) announced $1,061,000 in federal funding for the construction of two additional hangars at the Pleasanton Municipal Airport. The hangars will meet the growing aviation storage demand required by recreational and commercial customers as well as providing storage space for the local Air Life helicopter's support teams. Congressman Henry Cuellar said “Investments into rural communities and local infrastructure projects like these have far-reaching economic impacts and benefits. I applaud the City of Pleasanton and its leadership for taking advantage of the available federal funding opportunities and I look forward to continue working with them.” “We are very excited about this new addition to the city’s airport,” said Pleasanton City Manager Johnny Huizar. “These new airport hangars will fund themselves with revenue generated from aircraft lease fees.” The financed amount was later increased by $656,000 for a current total of $1,717,000. The funds were awarded through the United States Department of Agriculture’s USDA's Community Facilities Direct Loan and Grant Program. More than 100 types of projects are eligible for Community Facilities funding. Eligible applicants include municipalities, public bodies, nonprofit organizations and federally recognized Native American tribes. Projects must be in rural areas. USDA Media by Lance Cheung.

Brother of U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar Hit with Federal Fraud Charges

A Texas sheriff who is the brother of U.S. Representative Henry Cuellar is facing federal fraud charges following allegations that he ran a fraudulent business using public funds and staff during the Covid-19 pandemic, The Texas Tribune reported.