OFAC | Certain Risk

Fishing boat on water with large oil tanker in background during the sunset. — “David e Golia - Pescatore che stende le reti mentre la nave mercantile sosta al pontile.jpg” by PROPOLI87, via Wikimedia Commons Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:David_e_Golia_-_Pescatore_che_stende_le_reti_mentre_la_nave_mercantile_sosta_al_pontile.jpg

How Russia’s ‘Shadow Fleet’ Keeps the Oil Flowing

A Russian “shadow fleet” tanker sanctioned by the UK, EU and U.S. continued transporting oil in late 2025, underscoring what an investigation by Follow the Money describes as the limited impact Western measures have had on the cash flow Moscow earns from crude exports.

Black and white photograph of a young boy working a field in Darfur Sudan.

U.S. Targets Alleged Financial Network Tied to Colombian Mercenaries in Sudan

The United States has imposed sanctions on four individuals and four companies it says helped recruit, pay and deploy Colombian mercenaries to fight for Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Ahmed al-Sharaa shaking hands with US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio.

U.S. Lawmakers Weigh Lifting ‘Caesar’ Sanctions on Syria

Tough U.S. sanctions imposed on Syria under former president Bashar al-Assad are on track to be lifted within weeks, after lawmakers folded their repeal into a sweeping annual defense policy bill.

Men and women sitting an a wall by the ocean fishing on a sunny day. — Adapted from: Bruno Rijsman, Havana (Cuba, February 2023) – 81, 28 February 2023, via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Havana_(Cuba,_February_2023)_-_81.jpg, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 (Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic). Changes were made

UN Special Rapporteur Calls for End of U.S. Sanctions on Cuba

United Nations expert is calling for the United States to lift its decades-old sanctions on Cuba, citing their corrosive impact on the country’s populace and economic future, Al Jazeera reported.

Two hands operating a laptop computer keyboard lit by light from the display.

US, UK and Australia Blacklist Russian ‘Bulletproof’ Hosting Firms Tied to Ransomware Attacks

The United States, Britain and Australia have imposed coordinated sanctions on Russian technology companies and individuals accused of providing key online infrastructure for ransomware and other cyberattacks, Reuters reported.

The Dubai Skyline — “Vartankelechian photos20” (Nov. 20, 2016) by Vartino79, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution–ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0). Edited from the original

DOJ Probing Dubai-Based Iranian Oil Tycoon’s Global Banking Web

The U.S. Justice Department is investigating whether Iranian oil tycoon Hossein Shamkhani violated sanctions while using a global network of banks, according to Bloomberg.

Lukashenko and Putin sitting on a bench outside clasping hands and giggling like old friends. — “Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko in Valaam – 05” (August 1, 2025) by Kremlin.ru, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). Edited from the original

U.S. Lifts Sanctions on Belavia and Lukashenko Aircraft in Belarus

The U.S. Treasury Department eased parts of its Belarus sanctions regime on Tuesday, lifting measures on the state airline Belavia and authorizing certain transactions tied to President Alexander Lukashenko’s presidential aircraft, Reuters reported.

Man taking a picture of a statue of Kim Il-sung, Grand People’s Study House — “Statue of Kim Il-sung, Grand People’s Study House” by Jan Bockaert, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. Edited from the original.

U.S. Blacklists NK Bankers, IT Firm for Laundering Proceeds of Cybercrimes

The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned eight individuals and two entities allegedly tied to laundering illicit proceeds from DPRK cybercrime and overseas IT work.

Four shadowy figures walking along a beach with stylized cars, a boat, and a plane in the background.

U.S. Sanctions Mexico-Based Human Smuggling Network

The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on Thursday blacklisted a Mexican human-smuggling ring, imposing sanctions against four individuals and 16 companies it says helped illegally migrate to the United States. The Cancun-based Bhardwaj Human Smuggling Organization has illicitly transported thousands of people from Europe, the Middle East, South America, and Asia […]

Milorad Dodik and Vladimir Putin seated facing each other. — “Milorad Dodik and Vladimir Putin (2024-02-21) 01” by Presidential Executive Office of Russia (Kremlin.ru), licensed under CC BY 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons

U.S. Lifts Sanctions on Bosnia’s Milorad Dodik after Lobbying by Trump Allies

The Trump administration has lifted U.S. sanctions on Milorad Dodik, the powerful Serbian nationalist who led Republika Srpska in Bosnia and Herzegovina until earlier this month, following an intensive lobbying effort by figures close to former President Donald Trump.