An investigation led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has culminated in a significant legal action with the filing of a civil forfeiture complaint concerning $47 million garnered from the sale of nearly one million barrels of Iranian oil. These proceeds are alleged to be connected to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) or its Qods Force, both of which are designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations.
The announcement came from ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Alfonso, Sue J. Bai from the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. for the District of Columbia, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston, Sr. of the Minneapolis Field Office.
"Through the work of HSI’s Counterproliferation Investigations group, alongside the FBI, the U.S. government has seized $47 million worth of funds allegedly meant for terrorist groups intent on causing catastrophic harm," stated Special Agent Alfonso. He emphasized the importance of joint efforts to protect national and international security.
The complaint outlines a scheme, active from 2022 to 2024, allegedly orchestrated to disguise the transportation and sale of Iranian petroleum as a Malaysian product. Methods reportedly included manipulating the tanker's identification system and submitting fraudulent documents to authorities in Croatia, with transactions conducted in U.S. dollars through American financial institutions unaware of the oil's Iranian origin.
Funds from the sale, taking place in 2024, have been confiscated by the United States. These actions are claimed to defy U.S. sanctions imposed on Iran, with the National Iranian Oil Company allegedly providing support to the IRGC, which engages in activities like the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and support for terrorism.
U.S. Attorney Martin reinforced their commitment to enforcing sanctions, stating, “With the continued seizures of Iranian oil and U.S. dollar profits, we are sending a clear message to Iran that bypassing the sanctions put in place by the U.S. Government is not as easy as playing a shell game with tankers filled with oil.”
FBI Special Agent Winston echoed this stance, saying, “The FBI will not allow hostile regimes to evade U.S. sanctions or exploit our financial systems to fund designated terrorist organizations.”
Funds seized in connection to a state sponsor of terrorism could potentially be allocated to the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund. Investigations are ongoing under ICE HSI New York and FBI Minneapolis Field Office.
