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14 OFAC Penalties Totaling $265.7M in 2025

OFAC published 2025 year-end enforcement summary documenting 14 civil penalties and settlements totaling $265,725,344 against entities including Exodus Movement, Inc. ($3.1M), Gracetown, Inc. ($7.1M), IPI Partners, LLC ($11.5M), ShapeShift AG ($750K), and Fracht FWO Inc. ($1.6M). The enforcement actions target sanctions violations across cryptocurrency, trading, and logistics sectors.

Permitted Payment Stablecoin Issuer Anti-Money Laundering/Countering the Financing of Terrorism Program and Sanctions Compliance Requirements

OFAC and FinCEN jointly propose a rule requiring permitted payment stablecoin issuers to establish AML/CFT programs and sanctions compliance programs. The proposal would mandate covered entities to implement controls, conduct customer due diligence, and file suspicious activity reports. Comments are due 60 days from the April 10, 2026 publication date.

Treasury Proposes Rule Implementing GENIUS Act Sanctions Compliance for Stablecoin Issuers

The U.S. Department of Treasury's FinCEN and OFAC issued a joint proposed rule on April 8, 2026, to implement provisions of the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act. The proposed rule would require permitted payment stablecoin issuers to adopt and maintain effective sanctions compliance programs and AML/CFT programs. The rule aims to mitigate illicit finance risks while encouraging innovation in payment stablecoins.

Russia General License 13Q and Venezuela General License Translations

OFAC issued Russia General License 13Q authorizing certain administrative transactions prohibited by Directive 4 under Executive Order 14024, and amended FAQs 999 and 1118. OFAC also published Spanish translations of five Venezuela General Licenses (46B, 47, 48A, 49A, 50A) and 19 associated FAQs covering oil sector operations, diluent sales, and petrochemical products. The translations are informational only and do not alter the English-language terms.

OFAC SDN List Updates - Removals and Unblocking Actions

OFAC published notice of unblocking actions and SDN List removals for five persons effective March 6-13, 2026. Actions include removal of GLOBE TREKKERS LLC (Russia-EO14024), Carlos Arnoldo Lobo (SDNTK), and three CYBER2-listed individuals/entities including GAYKOVICH, KOVALEVSKIJ, and ACEX OY (Ukraine-/Russia-Related Sanctions).

Canada Sanctions 4 Iranian Officials for Human Rights Violations

Global Affairs Canada announced sanctions against 4 Iranian senior officials under the Special Economic Measures (Iran) Regulations for involvement in gross and systematic human rights violations. The individuals—Mohsen Karimi, Ahmad Kadem Seyedoshohada, Mustafa Mohebbi, and Hassan Akharian—have facilitated and directed repressive policies against protesters and dissidents. This marks Canada's 18th round of sanctions against Iran since October 2022.

Canada imposes additional sanctions against 7 Iranian individuals

Canada has imposed additional sanctions against 7 individuals under the Special Economic Measures (Iran) Regulations. The sanctioned individuals are linked to Iranian state bodies responsible for intimidation, violence, and transnational repression targeting Iranian dissidents and human rights defenders. With these latest measures, Canada has sanctioned 222 Iranian individuals and 256 Iranian entities in total.

Trump Administration Section 232 Metal Tariff Revisions

The Trump administration issued a Proclamation on April 2, 2026, significantly revising the Section 232 tariff methodology for steel, aluminum, and copper imports. Effective April 6, 2026, the system shifts from calculating duties based on metal content value to applying ad valorem tariffs on the full customs value of imports, with differentiated rates of 50% for Annex I-A products, 25% for Annex I-B products, and removal from coverage for Annex II products. The quarterly inclusion processes for derivative articles have been terminated, replaced by case-by-case review.

Notice of OFAC Sanctions Actions

OFAC published a notice documenting sanctions actions taken on April 7, 2026. The notice covers additions to the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) List and other sanctions designations under various OFAC programs. Parties engaging with sanctioned entities may face civil penalties.

Soph Co LLC Entity Exclusion

U.S. Customs and Border Protection added Soph Co LLC to the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) entity exclusions list. This federal debarment action prohibits the company from receiving federal contracts and federally-funded grants. Exclusion records on SAM.gov are binding across all federal agencies.