BRAZIL / USA – US Department of State and Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated members of a Brazil-based network of al-Qa’ida-affiliated individuals and their companies for providing support to the terrorist group.
Wednesday’s action targets three individuals and two entities, including al-Qa’ida operative in Brazil Haytham Ahmad Shukri Ahmad Al-Maghrabi (Al-Maghrabi), as Specially Designated Global Terrorists pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, as amended, on Wednesday.
The continued activities of this Brazil-based network demonstrate that al-Qa’ida remains a global terrorist threat. The United States is committed to working with our partners, including Brazil, to disrupt al-Qa’ida’s financial support networks, noted US Department of State
“Al-Qa’ida and its regional affiliates continue to pose a threat to countries around the world. The United States is taking action today to stem the funding of this terrorist group by designating members of a Brazil-based network of al-Qa’ida-affiliated individuals and their companies as Specially Designated Global Terrorists.
“The United States is designating Haytham Ahmad Shukri Ahmad Al-Maghrabi, who was one of the initial members of an al-Qa’ida support network in Brazil. Al-Maghrabi had frequent contact and business dealings, to include the purchase of foreign currency, with another al-Qa’ida-affiliated individual based in Brazil.
“Others being designated are Mohamed Sherif Mohamed Awadd, who had received bank transfers from other al-Qa’ida associates in Brazil and played a significant role in a Brazil-based al-Qa’ida-affiliated group; Ahmad Al-Khatib, who is based in Brazil; as well as Awadd and Al-Khatib’s companies. These designations are being taken pursuant to Executive Order 13224, as amended,” the statement said.
Sanctions implications
As a result of today’s action, all property and interests in property of the individuals and entities named above, and of any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, 50 percent or more by them, individually, or with other blocked persons, that are in the United States or in the possession or control of US persons must be blocked and reported to OFAC. Unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC or otherwise exempt, OFAC’s regulations generally prohibit all transactions by US persons or within the United States (including transactions transiting the United States) that involve any property or interests in property of designated or otherwise blocked persons.
Furthermore, engaging in certain transactions with the individuals and entities designated today entails risk of secondary sanctions pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended. Pursuant to this authority, OFAC can prohibit or impose strict conditions on the opening or maintaining in the United States of a correspondent account or a payable-through account of a foreign financial institution that knowingly conducted or facilitated any significant transaction on behalf of a Specially Designated Global Terrorist.
View identifying information on the individual designated today.
