FL Brokerage to Pay $1.1mn for Failing to ID Human Error in Sanctions Controls
TradeStation Securities agreed to pay $1.11 million to settle potential civil liability for 481 apparent violations of U.S. sanctions rules after the Florida-based brokerage provided services to people in Iran, Syria, and Crimea.
Prominent UK Polo Patrons Tied to Alleged Illicit Funds at Shuttered Swiss Bank
U.S. officials have linked two prominent figures in English polo to an alleged scheme to launder proceeds from the illicit sale of Venezuelan oil, according to a Financial Times report that cited a recent Treasury Department notice about the now-defunct Swiss lender MBaer Merchant Bank.
For Iran, Oil Sales Continue Despite Sanctions and War
Illicit Iranian oil shipments continue to move through Asian waters toward China, generating a critical revenue stream for Tehran and helping Beijing build large crude stockpiles despite sanctions and heightened regional conflict.
Binance Flagged ‘Chinese Nexus’ in Web of Illicit Iranian Payments
Binance internal investigators identified VIP accounts they said helped channel more than $1 billion to wallets tied to Iran-linked entities, including one account registered to a 79-year-old Chinese resident and another linked to a suspected Iranian gold smuggler.
OFAC Expands Sanctions Waiver on Russia Oil Sales
The U.S. Treasury Department has issued a second temporary authorization allowing buyers to take delivery of Russian oil cargoes already at sea, broadening a waiver granted last week to India alone as Washington seeks to ease pressure on crude prices during the ongoing conflict in Iran.
OFAC Targets Hamas-Linked Charities, DPRK-Linked IT Worker Schemes
The U.S. Treasury Department on Thursday announced two new sanctions actions targeting financing and revenue-generation networks tied to Hamas and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
Hungary Returns Armored Vehicles to Kyiv but Keeps Seized Ukrainian Loot
Hungary returned two seized armored bank vehicles to Ukraine on Thursday but continued to hold cash and gold worth about $82 million as part of an alleged money-laundering investigation.
Halkbank Granted 90-Day Stay in U.S. Criminal Case Amid DPA Talks
A federal judge in Manhattan on Wednesday granted a 90-day pause in the criminal case against Turkey’s state-run Halkbank, a first step toward a possible dismissal of charges that the bank helped launder billions of dollars in Iranian oil and gas proceeds.
Senate Democrats Call for Hearing on OFAC’s Russian Oil Sanctions Waiver
Senate Democrats are pressing for a congressional hearing on the Trump administration’s decision to ease sanctions on Russian oil, arguing that the step could benefit Moscow even as the Kremlin is providing support for Iranian forces.
U.S. Launches New Probe into Binance Transfers Linked to Iran
The U.S. Justice Department is investigating Iran’s use of Binance to evade U.S. sanctions, according to new reporting by The Wall Street Journal.