ANALYSIS: Britain’s FCA finds ‘lack of understanding’ by retail banks on AML regimes; identifies ‘several common weaknesses’ in FinCrime prevention

Regulatory Watch News

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  High-Ranking Mexican Cartel Leader Arrested on Charges of International Drug Trafficking and Money Laundering After Faking Own Death to Live in California Under Assumed Identity

  US Department of Justice

  November 21, 2024

  A federal court in the Central District of California unsealed a criminal complaint yesterday charging Cristian Fernando Gutierrez-Ochoa — a high-ranking member of the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) and the son-in-law of the CJNG’s leader, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, also known as El Mencho — with international drug trafficking and money laundering offenses. Gutierrez-Ochoa was arrested in Riverside, California, on Nov. 19.

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  Treasury Sanctions Gazprombank and Takes Additional Steps to Curtail Russia’s Use of the International Financial System

  OFAC

  November 21, 2024

  WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) took another major step in implementing commitments made by G7 leaders to curtail Russia’s use of the international financial system to further its war against Ukraine. OFAC’s action includes the designation of Gazprombank, more than 50 internationally connected Russian banks, more than 40 Russian securities registrars, and 15 Russian finance officials. OFAC is also issuing an alert describing sanctions risks related to Russia’s System for Transfer of Financial Messages (SPFS), which the Kremlin created and uses to evade sanctions.

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  Financial sanctions update: Global Anti-Corruption

  OFSI

  November 21, 2024

  On 21 November 2024 the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office updated the UK Sanctions List on GOV.UK. This list provides details of those designated under regulations made under the Sanctions Act. The following entries have been added under the Global Anti-Corruption financial sanctions regime and are now subject to an asset freeze:

  • Isabel Dos Santos (Group ID: 16694)
  • Dmitry Vasylovych Firtash (Group ID: 16699)
  • Lada Pavlovna Firtash (Group ID: 16700)
  • Denis Vladimirovich Gorbunenko (Group ID: 16701)
  • Liga Lemberga (Group ID: 16698)
  • Aivars Lembergs (Group ID: 16697)
  • Paula Cristina Fidalgo Carvalho Das Neves Oliveira (Group ID: 16696)
  • Sarju Raikundalia (Group ID: 16695)