The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has announced measures against seven senior members of Ansarallah, also known as the Houthis, who have been involved in smuggling weapons into Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen and procuring arms from Russia. In addition to these individuals, OFAC has designated a Houthi-affiliated operative and his company for recruiting Yemeni civilians to fight for Russia in Ukraine.
"By seeking weapons from a growing array of international suppliers, Houthi leaders have shown their intent to continue their reckless and destabilizing actions in the Red Sea region," stated Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. "The United States will use all available tools to disrupt the Houthis’ terrorist activities and degrade their ability to threaten U.S. personnel, our regional partners, and global maritime trade."
These actions are based on Executive Order 13224 concerning counterterrorism efforts and follow previous measures taken by OFAC throughout 2024 targeting Houthi weapon procurement operatives. The U.S. Department of State had previously designated Ansarallah as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist organization under E.O. 13224 effective February 16, 2024.
Several prominent figures within the Houthi group are identified in this action:
- Mohammad Abdulsalam has facilitated efforts to secure support from Russia.
- Eshaq Abdulmalek Abdullah Almarwani participated in high-level delegations with Russian officials.
- Mahdi Mohammed Hussein Al-Mashat worked on increasing cooperation between Houthis and Russia.
- Mohamed Ali Al-Houthi coordinated with Russian and Chinese officials regarding safe passage for vessels.
- Ali Muhammad Muhsin Salih Al-Hadi played a key role in funding military-grade equipment purchases.
- Abdulmalek Abdullah Mohammed E Alagri represented Houthi interests internationally.
- Khaled Hussein Saleh Gaber engaged in illicit procurement activities.
In addition, Abdulwali Abdoh Hasan Al-Jabri is implicated for facilitating human smuggling operations through his company, transferring Yemeni civilians to fight alongside Russian forces in Ukraine.
As a consequence of these designations, all properties linked to these individuals within the United States are blocked. Violating U.S. sanctions can result in civil or criminal penalties for both domestic and foreign entities involved.
Furthermore, engaging with those designated today may incur secondary sanctions risks according to E.O. 13224 provisions. This includes restrictions related to export controls administered by the Department of Commerce.
OFAC emphasizes that its sanction power aims not at punishment but at fostering behavioral change through compliance opportunities provided under specific guidelines.
For more details on those affected by today's announcements or information about OFAC’s removal process from sanction lists, additional resources are available online.
