OFAC hit headlines for targeting Southeast Asian scam networks and Iranian crypto financiers, enforcing US sanctions to curb illicit flows.
India is increasing surveillance and seizing vessels to prevent ship-to-ship transfers that hide oil origins. This move follows improved US-India relations and India's commitment to stop Russian oil imports, targeting vessels linked to Iran and operating in strategic maritime zones.
As of February 27, 2026, Venezuelan ex-president Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores remain jailed in New York, facing drug trafficking charges. Maduro's lawyer argues the US Treasury blocked Venezuelan government funds to pay for his defense, violating his Sixth Amendment rights. The Treasury briefly authorized payment on January 9 but revoked it hours later without explanation.
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.