The United States on Friday announced terrorism and sanctions-evasion charges and seizures linked to a billion-dollar oil trafficking network that it says finances Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its Qods Force.
The U.S. Department of Justice has unsealed three federal cases, across two U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, accusing individuals from Iran, Turkey, China and Oman of illicitly sell Iranian oil to government-affiliated buyers in China, Russia, and Syria.
In the Southern District of New York, seven defendants, including a leader within Iran’s IRGC and officers of a Turkish energy group, are facing charges related to terrorism, sanctions-evasion, fraud, and money laundering.
These individuals are accused of trafficking and selling Iranian oil to government-affiliated entities in China, Russia, and Syria to finance the IRGC-QF.
Additionally, the United States has seized $108m used as part of this scheme.
In a related action, in the District of Columbia, a Chinese woman and Omani man are charged with sanctions-evasion and money laundering.
They are accused of trafficking and selling Iranian oil to Chinese government-owned refineries.
The District of Columbia also saw the unsealing of a forfeiture complaint for the seizure of illicit Iranian oil, alleging more than 500,000 barrels of Iranian fuel as property that funds the IRGC and IRGC-QF.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in a statement noted that the Justice Department is targeting this funding source by seizing over $108 million and 500,000 barrels of fuel that would otherwise have enabled Iran to further its destabilizing activities that threaten U.S. national security.
“In addition to disrupting Iran’s unlawful funding streams, the Justice Department has also charged nine individuals for their roles in supporting Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions. The Justice Department will continue to use every authority we have to cut off the illegal financing and enabling of Iran’s malicious activities, which have become even more evident in recent months,” said Garland.
Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco noted that “The charges and seizures announced today strike at the core of the global oil smuggling network that Iran has built to fund its regime of terror and repression, and deny the regime millions of dollars in proceeds to further its nefarious agenda.”
