US Department of the Treasury – OFAC

Rule Changes

Enforcing Nicaragua sanctions program

On February 8, 2026, Nicaragua canceled visa-free entry for Cuban citizens, closing a corridor used by more than 400,000 Cubans to reach Central America and travel overland to the United States. The government acted under sustained pressure from Washington.

Updated May 27

Force in Play

Implementing sanctions on Iranian officials

The December 2025 uprising was suppressed at massive cost. HRANA's February 23 report, 'The Crimson Winter,' verified 7,007 deaths—6,488 adult protesters, 236 minors, 207 security forces, and 76 bystanders—with another 11,744 cases still under review. President Pezeshkian publicly apologized for the massacres on February 11.

Updated May 26

Force in Play

Leading international sanctions effort

For five years, Southeast Asia's scam compounds operated with near-impunity, generating an estimated $75 billion while trafficking hundreds of thousands of workers into forced labor. Then a Chinese actor got kidnapped in January 2025, and Beijing decided it had seen enough. Within twelve months, China extradited scam kingpins from Thailand, Cambodia, and Myanmar and sentenced crime family leaders to death. Beijing pressured regional governments into coordinated enforcement, transforming a tolerated nuisance into an existential threat.

Updated May 21

Money Moves

Enforcing secondary sanctions on Iran crypto channels

The Strait of Hormuz has been mostly closed to commercial shipping since late February. On Sunday, Iran began selling Bitcoin-priced insurance to anyone willing to risk the crossing.

Updated May 18

Rule Changes

Implemented the designations and issued a narrow wind-down authorization

The U.S. just sanctioned two sitting International Criminal Court judges—because they helped keep the Israel-related Gaza case alive. It's a rare thing in diplomacy: Washington using the same financial weapon it uses on oligarchs and terror networks against a courtroom.

Updated May 15

Force in Play

Sanctions engine naming ships, owners, and facilitators tied to Venezuela oil flows.

Trump's Venezuela "blockade" threat is now backed by policy. Washington has added new Venezuela-linked sanctions and also targeted Iran's shadow-fleet network. Together, these expand the pool of already-sanctioned vessels that the U.S. Navy could board if they try to trade with Venezuela.

Updated May 15

Money Moves

Issuing and adjusting licenses that govern Lukoil’s foreign asset sales

First the US froze Lukoil's assets. Now it's effectively forcing Russia's biggest private oil company to auction off its global business. A fresh Treasury waiver gives buyers until January 17, 2026 to lock in deals for oilfields, refineries and thousands of gas stations worth about $22 billion.

Updated May 10