OFAC is in the news for expanding sanctions on Iran, Iraq, and allies over evasion, crypto networks, and shipping routes. U.S. Treasury unit.
On March 26, 2026, Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores appeared in a New York federal court for the first time since their January capture by US forces. They pleaded not guilty to narcoterrorism and drug trafficking charges. The hearing focused on whether Venezuela's government could pay their legal fees, blocked by US sanctions. Judge Alvin Hellerstein questioned the national security rationale for the sanctions but did not dismiss the case.
The U.S. government has launched a crackdown on online scam centers across Southeast Asia, sanctioning a Cambodian senator and 28 others for operating fraud networks that target Americans. The operation includes seizing assets, shutting down online channels, and seeking extraditions of Chinese nationals involved in cryptocurrency scams. The effort aims to dismantle illicit operations linked to human trafficking and cybercrime.
The Treasury has designated 35 entities and individuals tied to Iran’s shadow banking networks, aiming to disrupt illicit oil sales and funding for the IRGC. The move also targets Chinese teapot refineries involved in Iran oil imports, warning financial institutions of severe sanctions for facilitating such toll payments through the Strait of Hormuz. This follows ongoing tensions and a hardening stance on Tehran.
The United States has sanctioned Iraq’s deputy oil minister Ali Maarij Al-Bahadly and three leaders of Iran-aligned militias, accusing them of diverting Iraqi oil to benefit Iran. The move, tied to broader pressure on Iran and its Iraqi proxies, follows sanctions on related figures and comes as Tehran’s influence in Baghdad faces renewed scrutiny.