The U.S. has filed a slew of criminal indictments aimed at U.S. companies engaged in the trade of shark fins to show how they take advantage of federal and state laws to engage in the practice, The Associated Press reported. For instance, a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida accuses Elite Sky International -- a Florida-based exporter -- of falsely labeling around 5,666 pounds of shark fins meant for China as live Florida spiny lobsters.

The Bureau of Industry and Security recently revoked export privileges for two people after they illegally exported controlled items from the U.S.

Esteban Eduardo Merlo Hidaglo, a Florida resident, and Christian Patricio Pintado Garcia and Luis Lenin Maldonado Matute, both Ecuadorian citizens, were charged for their alleged roles in a bribery and money laundering scheme to get business from Ecuadorian state-owned insurance firms, DOJ announced. Charged in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, the defendants allegedly paid bribes to officials at Seguras Sucre S.A. and Seguras Rocafuerte S.A. -- the state-run insurance companies -- to retain business for themselves, an intermediary company and reinsurance clients, court documents show.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in a July 19 opinion denied Hong Kong-based apparel company Changji Esquel Textile's (CJE) bid for a preliminary injunction against its placement on the Commerce Department's Entity List, calling it "a Hail Mary pass." Judges Judith Rogers, Patricia Millett and Gregory Katsas held that CJE's claims that human rights violations are not proper grounds to be placed on the Entity List are not likely to succeed, upholding the district court's ruling saying the same thing.

The Bureau of Industry and Security recently revoked export privileges for a New Jersey woman for illegal exports to Iran. BIS said Joyce Marie Eliabachus was convicted Oct. 7, 2020 (see 2010070026), after she worked with others to directly or indirectly ship U.S. aircraft components to Iran, including to Mahan Air, the country’s sanctioned airline (see 2008210041). Eliabachus was sentenced to 18 months in prison, one year of supervised release and a $100 fine. BIS denied Eliabachus’ export privileges for 10 years from the date of conviction.

Financial asset managers Ralph Steinmann of Switzerland and Luis Fernando Vuteff of Argentina have been charged with money laundering in a Foreign Corrupt Practices Act scheme involving Venezuela's state-owned energy company Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVS), the DOJ announced. Steinmann and Vuteff face up to 20 years in prison for their role in a $1.2 billion international scheme. According to court documents, the two conspired with others in a bribery scheme using the U.S. financial system and international bank accounts from 2014 to 2018. Steinmann, Vuteff and others allegedly agreed to create a laundering mechanism to launder $200 million from the scheme and to open bank accounts on behalf of two Venezuelan public officials to receive the bribe payments, the DOJ said.

A laboratory equipment distributor based in New Hampshire pleaded guilty to failing to file export information on shipments to Russia and Ukraine, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Hampshire announced July 11. From 2015 to 2019, Intertech Trading shipped lab equipment to these countries and elsewhere, falsifying commercial invoices and shipping forms. Intertech admitted that the information was fake and that it used false descriptions such as "lamp for aquarium" and "spares for welding system," as opposed to identifying the scientific equipment in the shipments.

The Bureau of Industry and Security recently revoked export privileges for four people after they illegally exported defense items or weapons ammunition.

A $325 million superyacht allegedly owned by Russian billionaire Suleiman Kerimov and seized by U.S. authorities in Fiji has docked in San Diego after a legal battle in the Asia-Pacific island, Bloomberg reported June 28. The Amadea arrived in San Diego June 27 after a few days in Honolulu. The U.S. hired a new crew in Fiji to sail the ship, leaving the island June 7.

Kambiz Attar Kashani, a dual U.S. and Iranian citizen, pleaded guilty to conspiring to illegally export U.S. goods, technology and services to end users in Iran, including to the Iranian government, DOJ announced June 28. Kashani used two United Arab Emirates companies to evade U.S. export laws between 2019 and 2021 by buying electronic goods, technology and services from U.S. companies without getting licenses from the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control, DOJ said. Kashani took orders from the Central Bank of Iran -- a designated entity, as it provides support to known terrorist organizations, the U.S. said. The defendant faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, and he already has agreed to pay a $50,000 fine in addition to any owed forfeiture.