Day: August 24, 2021

On 24 August, OFAC advised that 2 Paraguayans and a Brazilian have been added to the OGAC Global Magnitsky sanctions lists for human rights abuses.  5 companies in Paraguay have also been designated.  The US Treasury says that this action highlights the illicit finance risks and activities in the Tri-Border Area (TBA) where Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay converge.  It says that this region is marked by a large number of unregistered money exchange houses, trade based money laundering through export-import and retail businesses in the electronics and automotive sectors, the lack of awareness of money laundering and terrorist financing typologies and risk in the private sector, the intensive use of cash by businesses and individuals, and a large volume of transfers to high risk jurisdictions.  The action targets the so-called Hijazi network, a form of the despachantes (“dispatchers”), individuals skilled at navigating local and federal bureaucracies by using their expansive networks of government officials to aid them in their activities.  Complex government bureaucracies in the area are coupled with a lack of transparency and accountability  

https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/financial-sanctions/recent-actions/20210824

The full, current SDN (sanctions) lists can be accessed at –

https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/financial-sanctions/specially-designated-nationals-and-blocked-persons-list-sdn-human-readable-lists

Any modest contributions for my time and ongoing expenses are welcomed!  I have a page where you can do so, and where one-off contributions start as low as $3, at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/KoIvM842y

On 23 August, the Press-Enterprise reported that a half-dozen Southern California corporate entities have been found guilty of participating in a wide-ranging wire-and-customs fraud in which huge amounts of aluminium were disguised as pallets to avoid $1.8 billion in customs duties.

https://www.pe.com/2021/08/23/six-related-southern-california-aluminum-entities-convicted-in-scheme-to-avoid-1-8-billion-in-customs-duties/

Any modest contributions for my time and ongoing expenses are welcomed!  I have a page where you can do so, and where one-off contributions start as low as $3, at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/KoIvM842y

On 23 August, an article from the Atlantic Council asks what do UN sanctions actually mandate concerning the Taliban’s assets?  It says that the Taliban is not specifically listed on any UN sanctions list, but it remains sanctioned nonetheless. It refers to UN Security Council Resolution 1267 of 1999 (targeting the situation in Afghanistan, which was sheltering Usama Bin Laden), and that froze the Taliban’s funds and other financial resources, including money generated from property the group controlled directly or indirectly.  The UN Security Council has not amended the relevant language of this Resolution, which legally binds all Member States, meaning that it remains in force.  Despite the Resolution being split in 2011, creating more targeted sanctions on Al Qaida, but it is argued that restrictions on the Taliban remained in place.

https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/they-arent-listed-but-make-no-mistake-the-un-has-sanctions-on-the-taliban/

Any modest contributions for my time and ongoing expenses are welcomed!  I have a page where you can do so, and where one-off contributions start as low as $3, at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/KoIvM842y