Among them is the governor of the Central Bank in Sana'a.. US sanctions on 12 Houthi individuals and entities for their role in arms trade and money laundering

The US Treasury Department announced today, Thursday, the imposition of sanctions on 12 individuals and entities for their role in arms trafficking, money laundering, and shipping Iranian oil to the Houthi militias in Yemen, including Hashem Ismail Ali Ahmed Al-Madani, the governor of the Houthi-affiliated Central Bank in Sanaa.

The US Treasury said in a statement , "Al-Madani is the main supervisor of funds sent to the Houthis from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps' Quds Force, and has cooperated with the Houthi financial official supported by the Quds Force, Al-Jamal, to conduct commercial activities on behalf of the Houthis."

The sanctions also included “Ahmed Mohammed Mohammed Hasan al-Hadi (al-Hadi) is a senior Houthi financial official who coordinates and facilitates the transfer of Houthi funds on behalf of the group. Al-Hadi has directed other Houthi financial officials, including al-Jamal, to transfer funds for the group and has directed them to disburse funds to Houthi officials and other individuals in Yemen,” according to the statement.

The statement added that among the individuals designated today are key smuggling agents, arms dealers, and shipping and financial brokers who have enabled the Houthis to obtain and transport a range of dual-use components and weapons components, as well as generate revenue to support their destabilizing regional activities.

OFAC also identified five cryptocurrency wallets linked to IRGC-QF- backed Houthi financial official Saeed al-Jamal (al-Jamal), who operates under the aliases “Kharbi,” “Ahmed Saeedi,” and “Hisham,” among others.

“Today’s action underscores our commitment to using all of our tools to disrupt the Houthis’ efforts to acquire weapons, procure dual-use components, and secure additional revenue,” said Acting Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Bradley T. Smith.

“The United States will continue to expose these schemes and hold accountable those who seek to enable the Houthis’ destabilizing activities,” he added, noting that today’s action is being taken under the counterterrorism authority, Executive Order ( EO) 13224 , as amended.

Statement text:

The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control today imposed sanctions on twelve individuals and entities based in multiple jurisdictions, including the head of the Houthi-aligned Central Bank of Yemen’s Sana’a branch, for their roles in arms trafficking, money laundering, and the illicit shipment of Iranian oil to the Houthis.

Among those designated today are key smuggling operators, arms dealers, and shipping and financial brokers who have enabled the Houthis to obtain and transport a range of dual-use and weapons components, as well as generate revenue to support their destabilizing regional activities.

Additionally, OFAC identified five cryptocurrency wallets linked to IRGC-QF- backed Houthi financial official Saeed al-Jamal (al-Jamal), who operates under the aliases “Kharbi,” “Ahmed Saeedi,” and “Hisham,” among others.

“Today’s action underscores our commitment to using all of our tools to disrupt the Houthis’ efforts to acquire weapons, procure dual-use components, and secure additional revenue,” said Bradley T. Smith, Acting Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence. “The United States will continue to expose these schemes and hold accountable those who seek to enable the Houthis’ destabilizing activities.”

Today’s action is taken under the counterterrorism authority, Executive Order ( EO) 13224 , as amended. The U.S. Department of State’s designation of Ansar Allah (known as the Houthis) as Specially Designated Global Terrorists ( SDGT ), under

Executive Order 13224, as amended, entered into force on February 16, 2024. OFAC designated Al-Jamal pursuant to Executive Order 13224, as amended, on June 10, 2021, for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF). OFAC designated the IRGC-QF pursuant to Executive Order 13224 on October 25, 2007, for having provided material support to multiple terrorist groups.

Senior Houthi financial officials and exchange offices

Hashem Ismail Ali Ahmed al-Madani (al-Madani), the governor of the Houthi-aligned Central Bank in Sana’a, Yemen, is a key figure in the Houthi movement. Al-Madani is the main overseer of funds sent to the Houthis by the IRGC-QF, and has collaborated with the IRGC-QF-backed Houthi financial official, al-Jamal, to conduct business on behalf of the Houthis.

Ahmed Mohammed Mohammed Hasan al-Hadi (al-Hadi) is a senior Houthi financial official who coordinates and facilitates the transfer of Houthi funds on behalf of the group. Al-Hadi has directed other Houthi financial officials, including al-Jamal, to transfer funds for the group and has tasked them with disbursing funds to Houthi officials and other individuals in Yemen.

Al-Madani is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for acting or purporting to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, the Houthis. Al-Hadi is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for assisting in, sponsoring, or providing financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, the Houthis.

The Houthis have used Sana’a-based money services companies under their control to move large sums of money and circumvent sanctions. Mohammed Ali al-Thawr Exchange Company (Thawr Exchange), overseen by US-designated Houthi financial official Abdullah al-Jamal, has brought millions of dollars into Yemen on behalf of the al-Jamal network to enable money laundering operations with the IRGC-QF.

Similarly, Khalid Al-Hazmi and his General Partnership Company (Al-Hazmi Exchange) transferred funds to the US-designated, Jamal-controlled Davos Exchange and Money Transfer Company (Davos Exchange) in early 2024 to cover Davos Exchange’s sanctioned assets and assist the Jamal network in circumventing sanctions.

Al-Thawr Exchange Company and Al-Hazmi Exchange Company are being designated pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, Al-Jamal Company.

Al-Jamal generates revenue for the Houthis through the illicit sale of Iranian oil to customers in East Asia. Al-Jamal’s oil shipments are enabled by a network of shipping companies in Malaysia that provide essential services to the vessels carrying this cargo. Malaysia-based companies Blu Shipping (M) SDN BHD (Blu Shipping ) and Tefcas Marine SDN BHD (Tefcas Marine ) provided services to the US-sanctioned vessel RENEEZ (IMO 9232450 ), which transported tens of thousands of metric tons of Iranian goods for Al-Jamal’s network.

Mercury Energy Port Services Sdn Bhd (Merkur Energy) acted as port agent for another US-classified vessel, the Yorgos ( IMO 9150365 ), which also transported Iranian goods for the Camel Network. Bhuvaneswaran Vinayagamoorthy (Vinayagamoorthy) is the sole owner and CEO of Mercury Energy. Ezekiel Kaniyappan Jr. (Kaniyappan), who is the Chief Operating Officer of Mercury Energy, assisted in providing services to the Yorgos.

Merkur Energy, Blu Shipping , and Tefcas Marine are being designated pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, Al Jamal. Venayagamoorthy is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for being owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by Merkur Energy . Kanniappan is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Merkur Energy .