Sanctions Evasion | Certain Risk

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Florida Officials Put Sanctions Pressure on Businesses with Cuban Ties

South Florida Republican officials are pressing for tougher scrutiny of businesses that send goods or provide services linked to Cuba, the Miami Herald reported.

Hurley Set to Exit Treasury Amid Dispute over Sanctions Policy

The top Trump administration official leading U.S. sanctions policy and the nation’s financial intelligence unit is set to exit the role amid friction with his boss, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

President Donald Trump participates in a press conference with departing DOGE adviser Elon Musk, Friday, May 30, 2025, in the Oval Office. (Official White House Photo by Molly Riley)

Is Elon Musk’s X Violating U.S. Sanctions on Iran? The Blue Checkmarks Say ‘Yes’

Elon Musk’s social-media company, X, appears to have violated U.S. sanctions by selling “Premium” subscriptions to accounts linked to Iranian government officials and state entities, according to a Tech Transparency Project (TTP) report.

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FinCEN Launches New Whistleblower Portal

The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) has launched a dedicated portal to accept whistleblower tips on money laundering, fraud, and sanctions violations, the U.S. Treasury Department announced on Friday.

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To Bypass Russia Sanctions, Newly Sold Foreign Cars Often Take a Detour in China

Tens of thousands of foreign-brand cars are reaching Russia via China through gray-market channels that often circumvent sanctions and automakers’ pledges to exit the Russian market.

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Bipartisan Bill Would Make Russian Mercenaries Foreign Terrorists

A bipartisan coalition of U.S. House lawmakers has introduced legislation that would order the State Department to add Russian mercenary groups to its list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs).

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EU May Ban Crypto Payments Tied to Russia, Restrict Exports for Kyrgyzstan

The European Commission has proposed a blanket ban on cryptocurrency transactions linked to Russia and new trade restrictions on Kyrgyzstan in an effort to close loopholes used by Moscow to fund its war in Ukraine.

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U.S. Targets Hezbollah Ties to Gold Exchange and Financiers

The U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on a Lebanon-based gold exchange company and a network of individuals behind a procurement and commodities shipping scheme purportedly tied to Hezbollah.

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MONEYVAL Outlines Challenges in Curtailing Criminal Misuse of Crypto

The Council of Europe’s anti-money-laundering body on Tuesday published a new report on how criminals exploit crypto-assets to launder illicit proceeds, fund terrorism, and evade sanctions.

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Two Wall Street Firms Continued to Work with Russian Oligarch Despite Sanctions

Two Wall Street firms continued to manage a trust held on behalf of Suleiman Kerimov even after the Russian oligarch was blacklisted under U.S. sanctions in 2018, Bloomberg reported Tuesday.