The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has imposed sanctions on five senior officials in Nicaragua, targeting those leading financial, communications, and military agencies that support the Murillo-Ortega government’s repression.
Those sanctioned include the Director and Deputy Director of Nicaragua’s Financial Analysis Unit (UAF), the Minister of Labor, the Deputy Director General of the Nicaraguan Institute of Telecommunications and Postal Services (TELCOR), and the head of the Nicaraguan Army’s Directorate of Military Intelligence and Counterintelligence.
Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent stated: “The Murillo-Ortega dictatorship has continued its domestic and international campaign of repression and tyranny to intimidate, stifle, and undermine peaceful political opponents and dissenters. We will continue to hold the dictatorship to account and to amplify the Nicaraguan people’s aspirations for freedom and justice.”
Since 2018, reports indicate that Nicaragua’s leadership has suppressed protests through violence, detained or killed political opponents without justification, targeted journalists—forcing many into exile—and consolidated control over all branches of government. In January 2025, a constitutional rewrite approved by a regime-aligned National Assembly elevated Rosario Murillo from Vice President to Co-President alongside Daniel Ortega. The changes further centralized power in the executive branch, eliminated checks on authority, reduced civil protections, expanded media control, and legalized paramilitary enforcement.
The Financial Analysis Unit has reportedly been used by authorities loyal to Ortega to pursue political adversaries under anti-money laundering laws. The UAF is headed by two military officers; it allegedly monitors foreign funds entering Nicaragua with an aim to block financing for opposition groups. According to OFAC, this lack of independence allows liquidation of assets belonging to dissidents without legal basis.
Retired Major General Denis Membreno Rivas and former Police Chief Commissioner Aldo Martin Saenz Ulloa have served as director and deputy director respectively since 2012. Both were designated under Executive Order 13851 as amended.
A report from October 2025 by the Office of the United States Trade Representative outlined labor rights abuses under Nicaragua’s Ministry of Labor that led to unfair working conditions and created risks for U.S. investors operating in Nicaragua.
Johana Vanessa Flores Jimenez was appointed Minister of Labor in August 2025; she was also designated under Executive Order 13851 as amended.
TELCOR serves as a central element in state surveillance efforts; recent laws granted it broad authority over data collection and communication interception within Nicaragua. TELCOR's leadership reportedly oversaw operations targeting regime critics online. Its deputy director general since 2023 is Celia Margarita Reyes Ochoa; she is among those sanctioned today.
The Directorate of Military Intelligence and Counterintelligence (DICIM) is described as one of Nicaragua's most secretive security structures responsible for monitoring perceived threats including protesters or journalists. Major General Leonel Jose Gutierrez Lopez led DICIM for over ten years before being named in today's action along with Reyes.
With these designations, any property or interests belonging to these individuals within U.S. jurisdiction are blocked; Americans are prohibited from engaging in transactions involving them unless authorized by OFAC. Entities owned at least 50 percent by these individuals are similarly affected. Violations may result in civil or criminal penalties according to OFAC guidelines; whistleblowers providing actionable information could be eligible for awards if resulting penalties exceed $1 million.
Foreign financial institutions conducting significant transactions with designated persons risk secondary sanctions—including restrictions on correspondent banking relationships within the United States.
OFAC notes that its sanctions programs aim not only at punishment but at encouraging positive behavioral change; procedures exist for seeking removal from designation lists when appropriate.
