Category: MEA

Regulatory Watch News

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  Secretary Bessent Orders Sanctions Against Violent Mexican Cartel

  OFAC

  December 17, 2025

  WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned the Cartel de Santa Rosa de Lima (CSRL), which derives the vast majority of its illicit revenue from fuel and oil theft in the Mexican state of Guanajuato.  The violent conflict between CSRL and the notorious Mexican terrorist Cartel Jalisco Nuevo Generacion (CJNG) for control of fuel and oil in Guanajuato has made the state one of the deadliest in Mexico.  CSRL’s activities also help enable a cross-border energy black market, undermine legitimate U.S. oil and natural gas companies, and deprive the Mexican government of critical revenue.  OFAC today also sanctioned Jose Antonio Yepez Ortiz, the leader of CSRL. 

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  Law enforcement challenges major cocaine supply chains into Europe

  Europol

  December 17, 2025

  Law enforcement authorities across Europe and South America continue to put sustained pressure on the criminal networks responsible for moving cocaine into Europe. Three recent actions coordinated by Europol, one targeting a Dutch-led network embedded in Colombian supply chains, another dismantling a Brazilian maritime trafficking operation and a third disrupting a Greek at-sea transfer criminal operation, highlight the ongoing efforts to disrupt the routes and structures used by organised crime.

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  Update to the UK Sanctions List: Syria Regime, Iran Nuclear Sanctions Regime

  UK Government

  December 17, 2025

  Today, 17 December, the UK government has delisted the following 1 individual and 2 entities from the Syria sanctions regime, and one individual from the Syria sanctions regime and Iran Nuclear sanctions regime. Please note that these delistings remove duplicative designations. All four will remain listed under one of the following regimes: the Iran sanctions regime, the Iran Nuclear sanctions regime, or the Chemical Weapons sanctions regime. Therefore, there is no change in their status as designated persons. Delisting:

  Name:	Old Unique ID (Delisted):	OFSI Group ID:	Unique ID:
  Hossein TAEB	SYR0089	11788	IRN0039
  Mohammad Ali JAFARI	SYR0161 and INU0011	10638	IRN0058
  ISLAMIC REVOLUTIONARY GUARDS CORPS - QODS FORCE	SYR0310	11241	INU0082
  SCIENTIFIC STUDIES AND RESEARCH CENTRE (SSRC)	SYR0286	12426	CHW0006