The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned three Nicaraguan government officials involved in human rights abuses, election fraud and corruption Treasury said Nov. 7. Ramon Antonio Avellan Medal, deputy director general of the Nicaraguan National Police, was designated for carrying out the government's “repressive measures,” including arbitrary arrests and executions, the agency said. Lumberto Ignacio Campbell Hooker, acting president of the Nicaraguan Supreme Electoral Council, was sanctioned for running an entity that ensures President Daniel Ortega wins elections. Roberto Jose Lopez Gomez, director of the Nicaraguan Social Security Institute, was designated for corruption.

The U.S. plans to target and “aggressively” enforce measures against shipping companies across the globe that violate U.S. sanctions, a top State Department official said, according to a Nov. 6 Reuters report. David Peyman, deputy assistant secretary of state for counter threat finance and sanctions, told reporters in London that ships are being used as a “key artery to evade sanctions,” according to Reuters. “If behavior doesn’t change, notwithstanding our very frank conversations and clear messages, then we do look toward fully and aggressively and consistently enforcing U.S. sanctions across the board as a means to change behavior of bad actors,” he said.

Switzerland adopted adjustments to its sanctions against North Korea that align with the exceptions of the export ban agreed to by the United Nations Security Council Sanctions Committee, Baker McKenzie said in a Nov. 6 post. The exceptions allow for exports of humanitarian aid to North Korea and will “increase legal certainty for those companies involved,” the post said. Switzerland’s amendment will take effect Dec. 1.

The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control released quarterly reports of licensing activities for certain authorizations to Iran and Sudan from January through September 2018, OFAC said in a Nov. 5 notice. The report provides information on license applications for exports of agricultural commodities, medicine, and medical devices to Iran and Sudan under the licensing regime in the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enforcement Act of 2000, OFAC said. The reports contain statistics on the number of license applications and licenses issued for each product, the number of applications and licenses issued for each country and more.

The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned five Venezuelan government officials associated with corruption and “rampant violence,” Treasury said in a Nov. 5 press release. The agency said the sanctions “reflect a unified effort” against the Nicolas Maduro regime because the designated officials were previously sanctioned by the European Union or Canada. “This action harmonizes our efforts with those of our international partners,” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement.

The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned Iran’s Armed Forces General Staff and nine government appointees of Iranian leader Ali Khamenei, Treasury said Nov. 4. The sanctions target officials in Khamenei’s office, the country’s Expediency Council and the judiciary, Treasury said.

The U.S. is continuing sanctions against the Sudanese government because of a continued national security threat to the U.S., the White House said Oct. 31. The White House said “despite recent developments, the crisis” in Sudan has not been resolved. The national emergency with respect to Sudan was first declared Nov. 3, 1997.

The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control extended the expiration dates of two Ukraine General Licenses and expanded an authorization for certain activities, OFAC said in a Nov. 1 notice. General License No. 13M and No. 15G, replacing No. 13L and No. 15F, respectively, extend the expiration date of authorized transactions necessary to the wind-down of operations with GAZ Group until March 31, 2020. No. 15G also expands authorizations for certain “safety-related activity” and introduces a new authorization for “certain activities to comply with environmental regulatory requirements,” OFAC said.

The State Department imposed sanctions on Iran’s construction and nuclear sector, restricting sales of certain items, according to an Oct. 31 press release.

The Terrorist Financing Targeting Center announced joint sanctions on 25 people, banks and entities affiliated with Iranian terrorism groups in the center’s “largest joint designation to date,” the Treasury Department said in an Oct. 30 press release. The TFTC -- composed of the U.S., Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar -- sanctioned a “vast network” of businesses funding the Basij Resistance Force and people associated with Hizballah, Treasury said.