NEWS: Bitcoin-related fraud rises in El Salvador – despite low cryptocurrency uptake

Regulatory Watch News

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  Treasury Increases Pressure on Houthi Smuggling and Illicit Revenue Generation Networks

  OFAC

  January 16, 2026

  WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is designating 21 individuals and entities and identifying one vessel that have transferred oil products, procured weapons and dual-use equipment, and provided financial services for Iran-backed terrorist organization Ansarallah, commonly known as the Houthis.  This action targets financial conduits between the Iranian government and the Houthis, building on previous Treasury actions to constrict the Iranian regime’s use of its oil wealth to fund regional terrorist proxies at the expense of the Iranian population’s welfare.  It also targets key front companies, facilitators, and operatives located in Yemen, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) that are part of the Houthis’ vast revenue generation and smuggling networks, which enable the group to sustain its capability to conduct destabilizing regional activities and unprovoked attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea.

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  France: EPPO carries out searches in French Guiana on suspicion of fraud involving tourism infrastructure

  European Public Prosecutor's Office

  January 16, 2026

  (Luxembourg, 16 January 2026) – In an investigation led by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Paris (France), multiple searches were carried out on 13 and 14 January in French Guiana, as part of a probe into suspected fraud related to the construction of a EU-funded tourism infrastructure in the West part of the overseas French department. The project funding, amounting to €4.9 million in EU subsidies, forms part of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) overseas programme, which supports European initiatives for regional and business development.

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  Update to UK Sanctions List: Russia Regime

  UK Government

  January 16, 2026

  Today, Friday 16  January, the UK Government has varied the following 1 designation under the Russia  Sanctions Regime. Varied individual under the Russia regime:

  Name:	OFSI Group ID	Unique ID:
  John Michael ORMEROD	16863	RUS2639