If you read through LinkedIn or Bluesky auto-posting, you will not have noticed 2 recent changes to existing posts:
The post announcing the UN’s new DRC listings was updated to also include Canada’s adoption of the changes the same day
And the post that carried the US State Department about the FTO and SDGT designations of La Viagras and the Juarez Cartel mistakenly said it preceded changes by OFAC. In this case, on Wednesday at about 11:20 AM, OFAC did update those two designations, although the title of the Recent Actions post did not say that designations were being updated (yes, technically, an existing ILLICIT DRUGS E.O. was added to the FTO and SDGT programs making them “new” designations). And the State Department notice came out over 25 hours later, at about 12:30 PM yesterday (all times Eastern). My friend Yoshi tells me that this sort of delay, while much larger than typical post-designation PR by State, is typical. You live and you learn, I guess.
Today, the U.S. Department of State is designating the Juárez Cartel and Los Viagras as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) and Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs).
The Juárez Cartel and Los Viagras are violent narco-terrorist cartels that have committed numerous attacks against Americans, Mexican security forces, and civilians, including the 2019 massacre in Sonora of nine U.S. citizens – three adults and six children – killed by hitmen from the Juárez Cartel’s dominant faction La Línea.
The Trump Administration will continue to use all available tools to protect our nation by keeping poison off our streets and disrupting the revenue streams funding violent narco-terrorists. Today’s action taken by the State Department further demonstrates that the Trump Administration continues to deliver on its promises to the American people to dismantle narco-terrorist cartels, make American communities safer, and secure the border.
Terrorist designations expose and isolate entities and individuals, denying them access to the U.S. financial system and the resources they need to carry out attacks. As a result of actions taken today, all property and interests in property of those designated today that are in the United States or that are in possession or control of a U.S. person are blocked, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with them. Moreover, designations can assist law enforcement actions of other U.S. agencies and governments.
Today’s actions are taken pursuant to section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and Executive Order 13224. Foreign Terrorist Organization designations go into effect upon publication in the Federal Register.
Normally, these State Department updates appear within a few hours of the OFAC action. So, I thought this was a State Department jumping the gun.
well, no… Wednesday’s OFAC designations updated those two organizations with the FTO and SDGT tags, but didn’t have a PR about that part of the action… and the title of the Recent Actions piece didn’t event mention that there were designation updates.
And the timing… State Department PR today at 12:22 PM, OFAC action 11:32 AM on Wednesday…
Far-left terrorist and aligned groups often use sophisticated, organized networks to perpetrate violence as a political tool – seeking to implement an extreme political vision through intimidation and coordinated campaigns of terror. It is a strategy that explicitly aims to undermine the political foundations of free and self-governing societies, utilizing bombings, assassinations, and other forms of terrorism to silence speech, limit political opposition, change policy outcomes, and sabotage political processes.
Today, in support of National Security Presidential Memorandum-7 and ongoing U.S. Government efforts to disrupt networks fomenting political violence before they escalate to criminal action, the Department of State is announcing a new visa restriction policy that targets members of Far-Left Terrorist and other aligned groups who have supported or incited acts of terrorism; supported violent criminal activity; participated in economic sabotage; financed, recruited, or provided logistical support for violent or criminal actions committed by Far-Left Terrorist and other aligned groups; and/or facilitated the convergence of Far-Left Terrorist and other aligned networks for the purposes of violent action.
This policy will safeguard the American homeland by restricting entry of foreign nationals who finance, recruit, incite, or otherwise enable terrorist, violent, and criminal Far-Left Terrorist networks – closing the visa pathways that Far-Left Terrorists and other aligned groups exploit to threaten American lives, undermine economic stability, and coordinate violent action on U.S. soil.
These actions are being taken pursuant to Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
As part of the United States’ effort to increase pressure on the Iranian regime amid their unlawful attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, the United States is acting to disrupt and degrade the illicit shipping and sanctions evasion network of U.S.-designated Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, which serves as a major enabler behind Iran’s oil exports. Today, we are designating more than 50 individuals, entities, and vessels that enable Shamkhani and the Iranian regime to continue profiting while the Iranian people suffer.
The Shamkhani network relies on a combination of Iranian and foreign nationals and firms to conduct sanctions‑evasion schemes. It also uses offshore shell companies, critical to the network’s ability, to trade sanctioned goods and recover the proceeds of those trades.
The United States will use all the tools at our disposal to hold the regime accountable for its actions.
Today’s action is being taken pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13902, which provides authority to the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, to identify and impose sanctions on key sectors of Iran’s economy. For more information on today’s action, see the Department of the Treasury’s press release.
Today, President Trump informed Congress of his administration’s intent to rescind Syria’s designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism (SST), following a 45-day pre-notification period. This is yet another historic step by President Trump to give the Syrian people a chance at greatness.
Lifting sanctions on Syria will unlock international trade and investment, give Syria a chance to rebuild, and open up a new chapter for the Syrian people. A stable, unified Syria at peace with itself and its neighbors benefits not only the region, but the entire world.
The rescission follows President Trump’s June 30, 2025, Executive Order directing sanctions relief for Syria, the positive changes and counterterrorism actions taken by the Syrian government under President Ahmed al-Sharaa, and formal assurances provided by President al-Sharaa that Syria will not support acts of international terrorism in the future.
Today marks a significant milestone in the revived U.S.-Syria bilateral relationship and in Syria’s history as a nation. We commend the government of Syria for charting a new course and look forward to enhancing our partnership with Syria and its people.
This week, three Cuban nationals were apprehended by federal agents following Secretary Rubio’s termination of their legal status. Carlos Antonio Lloga Dominguez – who spent more than a decade working as a foreign subversive for the Communist Cuban regime’s premier influence and intelligence front group in the United States – and his wife and son are now in federal custody pending removal from our country. Lloga Dominguez spent more than a decade employed by the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the People (ICAP). He has continued to maintain ties to the transnational communist subversion network throughout his time residing in our nation.
ICAP, which Secretary Rubio designated for sanctions under Executive Order 14404 earlier this month, is the central node in a sprawling Cuban intelligence and influence operation, claiming to span more than 2,000 organizations across more than 150 countries. The organization has a long and intimate relationship with Cuban intelligence agents; in fact, ICAP’s current president, Fernando González Llort, is a convicted Cuban spy who served 15 years in U.S. prison for his role in the infamous Wasp Network — a massive illegal Cuban spy ring uncovered in Florida in the late 1990s. Working in close coordination with the Cuban communist regime, ICAP maintains an outsized footprint across the United States, trafficking in vile anti-American propaganda, cultivating pro-Havana regime activists and politicians, and lobbying federal, state and local politicians on behalf of the Cuban dictatorship. The organization facilitates close working relationships between Havana and radical U.S. groups, using America’s far left milieu as a vehicle to export Cuba’s Communist revolution to the United States.
Under the Trump Administration, America will never become home for Cuban Communist regime thugs who peddle propaganda, run foreign influence operations, or seek to wage revolution against American civilization. As a reminder, pursuant to Executive Order 14404, all ICAP property and interests in property are blocked and any transactions with ICAP are prohibited absent an express authorization by the Departments of Treasury or State. And any foreign aliens involved in ICAP’s anti-American subversion operations should expect to soon find themselves on an ICE deportation flight.
Under the leadership of President Trump, the United States is dismantling ISIS’s ability to finance terrorism around the world. We are cutting off the financial lifelines from around the world that enable ISIS to fund attacks, support its regional affiliates, and threaten civilians, including religious minorities.
Today’s designations target three individuals and six entities operating across Europe, the Middle East, and West Africa who have enabled ISIS to move money across borders – exposing a network that spans from France and Syria to Türkiye and Nigeria.
These actions reflect the United States’ unrelenting pressure on ISIS, which continues to decentralize its operations and rely on financial intermediaries to connect its global network. Among those designated is a France-based facilitator who provided information concerning the use of explosives to ISIS supporters, a Syria-based operator who used cryptocurrency to transfer funds on behalf of ISIS associates in multiple countries including the United States, and a Nigeria-based facilitator whose money exchange businesses served as conduits for ISIS financing.
The United States also reaffirms its strong partnership with Nigeria, which joined the United States in the May 16, 2026, operation that resulted in the killing of Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, the number two official in ISIS.
We will continue to use every diplomatic and legal tool available to hold ISIS and its supporters accountable – wherever they operate and however they move money. We remain fully committed to protecting American lives, defending religious minorities, and working with international partners to eliminate the threat that ISIS poses to global peace and security.
Today’s action is being taken pursuant to the counterterrorism authority, Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, as amended. The U.S. Department of State designated ISIS, then known by its former name of al-Qa’ida in Iraq, as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) pursuant to E.O. 13224 on October 15, 2004, and as a Foreign Terrorist Organization pursuant to section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act on December 17, 2004. More information on today’s designations can be found in Treasury’s Press Releases.
Today, the United States is designating two Hizballah-aligned Lebanese officials, as well as members of a Hizballah business network overseen by U.S.-designated Alaa Hassan Hamieh. These officials have used their influence to deliberately and systematically undermine the authority of the Lebanese state. By aligning themselves with Hizballah, a terrorist organization, they have prevented the Lebanese government from exercising full control over its territories and over its future. These activities obstruct efforts to restore a sovereign, independent Lebanon, instead entrenching a system of parallel power that keeps Lebanon weak and divided, at the expense of the entire Middle East. Additionally, we are designating more interlocutors of Alaa Hamieh and his network in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Oman who raise funds, execute contracts, and operate front companies to generate revenue for Hizballah terrorists.
Hizballah is a terrorist organization that puts Iran, not Lebanon, first. Hizballah is the single biggest obstacle to Lebanon’s recovery and future, and holds the state hostage to a permanent state of conflict. Those who continue to provide political cover and material support to Hizballah will suffer the consequences of their choices. For the sake of lasting peace in the region and Lebanese stability and prosperity, Hizballah must disarm, its infrastructure must be dismantled, and the Lebanese state must regain its control of Lebanon’s future. The United States will continue to target Hizballah’s finances and those who help the group undermine the state of Lebanon.
Today’s action is being taken pursuant to the counterterrorism authority, Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, as amended. The U.S. Department of State designated Hizballah as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) pursuant to E.O. 13224 on October 31, 2001, and as a Foreign Terrorist Organization pursuant to section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act on October 8, 1997. More information on today’s designations can be found in Treasury’s Press Release.
of course, the actual designations on the Recent Actions page didn’t have any press release, so… Treasury’s press release:
WASHINGTON—Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is designating Hizballah-aligned Lebanese officials, as well as members of a Hizballah-associated business network overseen by Alaa Hassan Hamieh, also known as Alaa Hamieh. The Lebanese officials designated today have used their influence to obstruct Lebanon’s peace process and delay the disarmament of Hizballah. OFAC is also expanding upon the March 20, 2026 designations of Alaa Hamieh and his business network by targeting additional interlocutors in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Oman who raise funds, execute contracts, and operate front companies to generate revenue for Hizballah.
“Hizballah must disarm for Lebanon to achieve a secure and prosperous future,” said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. “Treasury will continue to target Hizballah’s financial networks and hold accountable those who enable the group to undermine the Lebanese state and threaten prospects for lasting peace.”
Today’s action is being taken pursuant to the counterterrorism authority, Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, as amended. The U.S. Department of State designated Hizballah as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) pursuant to E.O. 13224 on October 31, 2001, and as a Foreign Terrorist Organization pursuant to section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act on October 8, 1997.
HIZBALLAH-ALIGNED LEBANESE OFFICIALS
Hizballah relies on a network of officials to maintain power and exert influence through all levels of the Lebanese political and security establishment. Sleiman Antoine Frangie (Frangie) is the leader of the Lebanese Marada Movement and has used his strategic alliance with Hizballah to benefit his own political ambitions. Frangie accepted financial support from Hizballah in exchange for supporting Hizballah’s efforts to target the parliamentary seats of reformist and independent members of parliament in Lebanese parliamentary elections.
Deputy Head of Hizballah’s political council Mahmoud Qamaticoordinates cash smuggling from Iran for Hizballah and advocates for Hizballah’s interests in Lebanon.
Sleiman Antoine Frangie is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods and services to or in support of, Hizballah. Mahmoud Qamati is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for having acted or purported to act on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Hizballah.
ALAA HAMIEH AND MUHAMMAD AL-BAZZAL’S HIZBALLAH PROJECTS
Alaa Hamieh and U.S.-designated Bahaa Addin Hashem(Hashem) are co-owners of Lebanon-based Globe Technology Providers SARL (Globe SARL), which is the technical arm of the Hizballah-linked, Syria-based company Al-‘Ahd Company for Trade and Investment (Al-‘Ahd Company). In early 2024, Hizballah finance team official Muhammad Al-Bazzal was instrumental in initiating Globe SARL’s contracts with the former al-Assad regime in Syria. The al-Assad regime — a critical ally of Hizballah — agreed that U.S.-designated Hizballah finance team company G.M. Farm, represented by its local agent, al-Assad regime henchman Yasar Husayn Ibrahim’s business Al-‘Ahd Company, would supply and operate equipment for fees of nearly ten million dollars. Profits from Globe SARL’s projects were divided between Hizballah-controlled Talaqi Group, Al-‘Ahd Company, and Globe SARL, which also runs various other projects generating revenue for the Hizballah finance team. Alaa Hamieh owns and controls Oman-based Globe International SPC, which is a subsidiary of Globe SARL. Globe International SPC’s bank accounts were used to process payments worth hundreds of thousands of dollars for Alaa Hamieh, including transfers related to Hizballah projects and designated companies Calllync Spolka Z Organiczona Odpowiedzialnoscia and Calllync Telekomunikacijske Storitve D.O.O.
Alaa Hamieh with deceased Hizballah Executive Council Leader Hashem Safieddine
In July 2025, Muhammad Al-Bazzal, Alaa Hamieh, and Maya Boustany, designated for her multiple roles at Alaa Hamieh’s companies, collaborated to establish an insurance company in Iraq. The new company, Al-Shafa Administrative Services Limited (Al-Shafa), was led by Alaa Hamieh’s employee, Chief Executive Officer Wael Costanteen, and purported to focus on insurance management services. In 2017, Alaa Hamieh founded Lebanon-based TykeSAL, which is registered to engage in a variety of commercial and real estate activities. In September 2023, Alaa Hamieh’s brother, Muhammad Hassan Hamieh (Muhammad Hamieh), took over Alaa Hamieh’s shares in Tyke SAL and joined the board of directors of the company. As of December 2025, Muhammad Hamieh runs Tyke SAL.
Globe SARL is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for being owned, controlled, or directed by, or having acted or purported to act on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Alaa Hamieh and Hashem. Al-‘Ahd Company is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods and services to or in support of, G.M. Farm. Al-Shafa, Wael Costanteen, and Globe International SPC are being designated pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for being owned, controlled, or directed by, or having acted or purported to act on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Alaa Hamieh. Tyke SAL is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for being owned, controlled, or directed by, or having acted or purported to act on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Muhammad Hamieh.
SANCTIONS IMPLICATIONS
As a result of today’s action, all property and interests in property of the designated or blocked persons described above that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC. In addition, any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, individually or in the aggregate, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked. Unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC, or exempt, OFAC’s regulations generally prohibit all transactions by U.S. persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of blocked persons.
Violations of U.S. sanctions may result in the imposition of civil or criminal penalties on U.S. and foreign persons. OFAC may impose civil penalties for sanctions violations on a strict liability basis. OFAC’s Economic Sanctions Enforcement Guidelines provide more information regarding OFAC’s enforcement of U.S. economic sanctions. In addition, financial institutions and other persons may risk exposure to sanctions for engaging in certain transactions or activities involving designated or otherwise blocked persons. The prohibitions include the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any designated or blocked person, or the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person. Non-U.S. persons are also prohibited from causing or conspiring to cause U.S. persons to wittingly or unwittingly violate U.S. sanctions, as well as engaging in conduct that evades U.S. sanctions. Individuals located in the U.S. or abroad who provide information about sanctions violations to FinCEN’s whistleblower incentive program may be eligible for awards if the information they provide leads to a successful enforcement action that results in monetary penalties exceeding $1,000,000.
Furthermore, engaging in certain transactions involving the persons designated today may risk the imposition of secondary sanctions on participating foreign financial institutions. OFAC can prohibit or impose strict conditions on opening or maintaining, in the United States, a correspondent account or a payable-through account of a foreign financial institution that knowingly conducts or facilitates any significant transaction on behalf of a person who is designated pursuant to the relevant authority.
The power and integrity of OFAC sanctions derive not only from OFAC’s ability to designate and add persons to the SDN List, but also from its willingness to remove persons from the SDN List consistent with the law. The ultimate goal of sanctions is not to punish, but to bring about a positive change in behavior. For information concerning the process for seeking removal from an OFAC list, including the SDN List, or to submit a request, please refer to OFAC’s guidance on Filing a Petition for Removal from an OFAC List.
Rising tensions between Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) hardliners and the Ethiopian government have threatened to reignite the conflict in northern Ethiopia and undermine peace and security across the entire region. Earlier this year, members of the Tigray Security Forces (TSF) clashed with Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF), their first direct engagement since the end of the 2020-2022 conflict, which resulted in the loss of 600,000 lives and brought the region to the brink of famine. Hundreds of thousands of civilians across northern Ethiopia have already fled their homes, fearing a return to war.
Today, pursuant to his authority under Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, Secretary Rubio is taking steps to impose visa restrictions on hardline members of the TPLF and their immediate family members. This visa restriction policy targets individuals who are responsible for, or complicit in, undermining resolution to the crisis in the Tigray region.
The United States will continue to stand with the Ethiopian people, including the people of Tigray, who want to live in peace and dignity. We will continue to use all tools available to expose and promote accountability for TPLF officials and other individuals who threaten that peace and stability in the region.
Today, the Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs is announcing a reward offer increase under the Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program (TOCRP) of up to $10 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Yulan Adonay Archaga Carías, a.k.a. “Porky,” and a reward offer of up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Víctor Eduardo Morales Zelaya, a.k.a. “Cuervo”—both leaders of Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) designated by the Trump Administration last year.
According to court documents, Archaga Carías and Morales Zelaya are the highest-ranking members of MS-13 in Honduras and are responsible for directing the gang’s criminal activities, including drug trafficking, money laundering, murder, kidnappings, and other violent crimes. They are also responsible for the gang’s importation of large amounts of cocaine into the United States. Archaga Carías and Morales Zelaya both remain at large.
Archaga Carías is one of the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives, as well as one of the DEA’s and Homeland Security Investigations’ most wanted fugitives. This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) established by Executive Order 14159. The HSTF is a permanent, whole-of-government task force dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad.
Today’s reward offers are authorized by the Under Secretary for Arms Control and Security under the TOCRP, which supports law enforcement efforts to disrupt transnational crime globally. If you have information, please contact the FBI by phone (WhatsApp, Signal, or Telegram) at +1 832-267-1688. If you are located outside of the United States, you may also contact the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. If you are in the United States, you may also contact the local FBI office in your city.
ALL IDENTITIES ARE KEPT STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL. Government officials and employees are not eligible for rewards based on information provided in the course of official duty.
