TITLE: US Office of Foreign Assets Control Publishes Second Round of Sanctions List Removals and Updates
BODY:
On July 27, 2026, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) published updates to its sanctions lists as part of an ongoing modernization initiative to remove and consolidate outdated information. OFAC consolidated 18 duplicate entries in which distinct targets appeared multiple times on its sanctions lists. Although OFAC removed certain duplicate entries, the persons and property associated with those entries remain sanctioned and any related assets remain blocked.
OFAC updated the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List (SDN List), the Sectoral Sanctions Identifications List, and the Non-SDN Palestinian Legislative Council List. The SDN List deletions included multiple aliases for individuals previously listed, such as Gilberto Jose Rodriguez Orejuela (known as "The Chess Player" and "Lucas"), individuals from Colombia, Mexico, Somalia, Libya, and other jurisdictions involved in narcotics trafficking, terrorism, and sanctions evasion. OFAC also removed entries for entities including Russian defense contractors, North Korean trading corporations, and Iraqi-linked companies, while retaining the underlying sanctions designations through consolidated unique identifiers.
The Sectoral Sanctions Identifications List received additions including Joint Stock Company United Engine Corporation, Limited Liability Company Korus Consulting CIS, Otkrytoe Aktsionernoe Obshchestvo Vneshneekonomicheskoe Obedinenie Tekhnopromeksport, and Sovremennye Tekhnologii Limited Liability Company. OFAC also removed older entries for these entities from the Sectoral Sanctions Identifications List to eliminate duplicative listings. The Non-SDN Palestinian Legislative Council List was updated with Ismail Abdul Salah Haniyah, with previous duplicate entries removed. All changes maintain the underlying sanctions designations while improving list accuracy and administrative efficiency.
REFERENCES:
Office of Foreign Assets Control. "Sanctions List Removals; Sanctions List Updates." US Department of the Treasury, July 27, 2026. https://ofac.treasury.gov/