Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)

The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the US Department of the Treasury administers and enforces economic and trade sanctions based on US foreign policy and national security goals against targeted foreign countries and regimes, terrorists, international narcotics traffickers, those engaged in activities related to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and other threats to the national security, foreign policy or economy of the United States. As part of its enforcement efforts, OFAC publishes a list of individuals and companies owned or controlled by, or acting for or on behalf of, targeted countries. It also lists individuals, groups, and entities, such as terrorists and narcotics traffickers designated under programs that are not country-specific. Collectively, such individuals and companies are called “Specially Designated Nationals” or “SDNs.” Their assets are blocked and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from dealing with them.

The OFAC list is comprised of the following programs:

• Specially Designated Global Terrorist
• Foreign Terrorist Organization
• Specially Designated Terrorist
• Iran and Syria Nonproliferation Act
• Iran-Iraq Arms Nonproliferation Act of 1992
• Specially Designated Narcotics Traffickers
• Specially Designated Narcotics Traffickers-Kingpin Act
• Weapons of Mass Destruction Trade Control Regulations, Non-Proliferators Weapons of Mass Destruction
• Non-SDN Palestinian Legislative Council
• OFAC Country Based Sanctions
• FinCEN 311
• Part 561