The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week sanctioned two people and five entities behind commercial spyware used for human rights abuses and “mass surveillance campaigns.” The designations include the founder of the Intellexa Consortium, which OFAC said developed commercial spyware known as Predator and that is used to target government officials, journalists and others.

The U.S. renewed a national emergency that authorizes certain sanctions on people and entities that “undermine democratic processes” in Ukraine, the White House said March 4. The emergency will continue for one year beyond March 6.

Canada on March 3 sanctioned six Russian officials connected to the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in a prison last month. All six are senior officials of Russia’s “prosecution, judicial and correctional services who were involved in the violation of Mr. Navalny’s human rights, his cruel punishment and ultimately, his death,” Canada said. The designations target Vadim Konstantinovich Kalinin, Alexandr Vladimirovich Varapaev, Igor Borisovich Rakitin, Marina Andreyevna Bobek, Yekaterina Sergeyevna Frolova, Kirill Sergeevich Nikiforov.

An updated general license issued last week by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (see 2402290080) narrowed the scope of transactions that were previously authorized with Consorcio Venezolano de Industrias Aeronauticas y Servicios Aereos, S.A., Venezuela’s flagship airline, the agency said in March 1 guidance.

The Financial Action Task Force recently updated its list of jurisdictions with “deficiencies” in combating terrorism financing, weapons proliferation and other sanctions-related issues, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network said Feb. 29. The FATF added Kenya and Namibia to its list of "Jurisdictions Under Increased Monitoring" and removed Barbados, Gibraltar, Uganda and the United Arab Emirates from that list. The FATF’s list of "High-Risk Jurisdictions Subject to a Call for Action" remains the same and still lists Iran, North Korea and Myanmar.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control changed the heading of its Darfur Sanctions Regulations to the Sudan Stabilization Sanctions Regulations and amended other parts of the regulations to implement a May executive order that expanded the U.S. sanctions authority against Sudan (see 2305040037). The agency also added new definitions, general licenses and guidance. The changes take effect March 5.

A final rule released by the Office of Foreign Assets Control last week updated contact information and “grammatical terminology” across some of the agency’s existing regulations. OFAC said the changes “reflect current office names and email addresses,” and make other revisions. The rule is effective March 5.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control on Feb. 29 updated a general license that authorizes certain transactions with Venezuela’s flagship airline. General License 45B, which replaced License 45A, updated and removed language relating to the types of transactions that are authorized with Venezuela’s Consorcio Venezolano de Industrias Aeronáuticas y Servicios Aéreos, also known as Conviasa.

The Biden administration hasn't ruled out the possibility of designating the Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), but it first wants to see whether its recent labeling of the Yemen-based group as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) has its intended effect, a State Department official said Feb. 27.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week sanctioned the Guatemala-based Los Pochos Drug Trafficking Organization, three of its members and four affiliated companies for their involvement in trafficking cocaine to the U.S.