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The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control today took action against the international networks responsible for providing energy products used by the Assad regime to continue fueling the ongoing conflict in Syria. OFAC today designated seven entities and four individuals pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13582 and identified seven vessels as blocked property; many of these entities are front companies that the Government of Syria and its supporters have used in an attempt to evade U.S. and E.U. sanctions. In addition, also pursuant to E.O. 13582, OFAC identified six Government of Syria entities and three vessels that are property in which the Government of Syria has an interest. As a result of today’s action, all assets of those listed today that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are frozen, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with them.

“Treasury will continue to employ its robust financial tools to weaken Assad’s support network,” said Acting Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Adam J. Szubin. “These targeted sanctions intensify the economic and financial pressure on the Syrian government to cease its campaign of violence against its people.”

The sanctions are designed to target culpable actors with minimum collateral effects on the Syrian people. OFAC’s Syrian Sanctions Regulations continue to authorize certain exports and re-exports of items such as food, medicine, and medical devices to Syria as well as related services. Such authorized exports and re-exports are eligible to be sent to those individuals or entities that are listed pursuant E.O. 13582, provided that the exports or re-exports are licensed or otherwise authorized by the Department of Commerce. In addition, OFAC’s Syrian Sanctions Regulations continue to authorize services that are ordinarily incident to the export or re-export to Syria, including to the Government of Syria, of certain non U.S.-origin food, medicine, and medical devices.

OFAC today took action against the following individuals, entities, and vessels:

The Eagles LLC (The Eagles)

The Eagles is a Syria-based company that was designated today pursuant to E.O. 13582 for being owned or controlled by, or for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, Wael Abdulkarim and the Abdulkarim Group, persons previously designated pursuant to this E.O. in December 2014. In early February 2015, The Eagles was among several companies doing business with the U.S- and E.U.-designated Syrian Petroleum Marketing Department (SYTROL). In early March 2015, Wael Abdulkarim worked with The Eagles to pay Milenyum Energy S.A. (Milenyum) nearly $5 million for a shipment of gasoil that Milenyum was believed to have provided to The Eagles for shipment to Syria.

Morgan Additives Manufacturing Co. (Morgan)

Morgan Additives Manufacturing Co. (Morgan), a Dubai-based company with a presence in the Seychelles, was designated pursuant to E.O. 13582 for being owned or controlled by U.S.- and E.U.-designated Wael Abdulkarim. Wael Abdulkarim is the Managing Director of Morgan.

Milenyum Energy S.A. (Milenyum)

Milenyum, a company registered in Panama and operating in Turkey, was designated today pursuant to E.O. 13582 for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services in support of, and having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, the U.S.- and E.U.-designated Abdulkarim Group and Wael Abdulkarim. Milenyum was also designated for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services in support of, the Government of Syria. In recent years, Milenyum has responded to the Syrian regime’s energy needs by regularly arranging for the shipment of products such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and gasoil to the Syrian Government-controlled port of Banias, likely for SYTROL or other Syrian government entities. In early February 2015, The Eagles coordinated with Ufuk Kenar – the director of Milenyum who was also designated today – to arrange a shipment of 15,000 metric tons of gasoil worth over $7 million to Syria. In mid-April 2015, employees of Milenyum may have been involved in the shipment of thousands of metric tons of LPG to Banias, Syria, on board the Green Light, a vessel that is owned and controlled by Milenyum. In mid-February 2015, Milenyum facilitated a gasoil shipment to Syria on behalf of an Abdulkarim Group front company. A vessel was scheduled to deliver 18,000 metric tons of gasoil to Banias, Syria on behalf of Milenyum. In mid-February 2015, the Tala, a vessel that is owned and controlled by Milenyum, delivered several thousand metric tons of LPG from Ukraine to Banias, Syria. In mid-March 2015, the Blue Way, a vessel owned and controlled by Milenyum, loaded several thousand metric tons of LPG likely destined for Banias, Syria.

Blue Energy Trade Limited Company (Blue Energy) and Ebla Trade Services S.A.L/Off-Shore (Ebla Trade)

Blue Energy, a company registered in St. Kitts and Nevis, and Ebla Trade, a Beirut, Lebanon-based company, were designated today pursuant to E.O. 13582 for being owned and controlled by, and having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of and having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial support for, or goods and services in support of, Milenyum. They were also designated for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services in support of, the Government of Syria – and in the case of Ebla Trade, Blue Energy. Milenyum uses Blue Energy to receive payments for energy-related shipments through the port of Banias, Syria. As of April 2008, Milenyum worked with Ebla Trade and Blue Energy to facilitate payments related to commercial vessel shipments of petroleum products to Syria. In early April 2015, Milenyum employees worked with Blue Energy and Ebla Trade to arrange for the Tala, a vessel that is owned and controlled by Milenyum, to discharge LPG valued at over $1.2 million in Banias, Syria. Blue Energy shipped the LPG and Ebla Trade cosigned it. In mid-March 2015, Milenyum received payment through Blue Energy for a shipment of several thousand metric tons of LPG likely destined for Banias, Syria.

Green Shipping Ltd. and Aqua Shipping Ltd.

Green Shipping Ltd. and Aqua Shipping Ltd., companies operating out of Turkey and registered in the Marshall Islands, were designated pursuant to E.O. 13582. Green Shipping Ltd. was designated today for being owned and controlled by, and acting for or on behalf of, Milenyum. Aqua Shipping Ltd. was designated for being owned and controlled by Milenyum. As of March 2015, Milenyum has used Green Shipping Ltd. and Aqua Shipping Ltd. as front companies to register ownership of vessels.

Ufuk Kenar

Ufuk Kenar was designated today pursuant to E.O. 13582 for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, and for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial support for, or goods or services in support of, Milenyum and the Government of Syria. Kenar is a director and secretary of Milenyum. In mid-April 2015, Kenar and others at Milenyum responded to a SYTROL tender announcement for gasoil. In March 2015, Kenar most likely misled Romanian representatives of a petroleum supplier to hide the Syrian end-user of a shipment of LPG. While Kenar and other employees of Milenyum arranged for a vessel, the Syn Maia, to deliver several thousand metric tons of LPG to Banias, Syria, Kenar claimed that the LPG was instead shipped to Eritrea. In fact, the vessel discharged its cargo in Banias, Syria in March 2014.

Erkan and Serkan Duzgoren

Erkan and Serkan Duzgoren were designated today pursuant to E.O. 13582 for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, and having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial support for, or goods or services in support of, Milenyum. Erkan and Serkan Duzgoren are the two managers of Milenyum.

Mustafa Aydin

Mustafa Aydin was designated today pursuant to E.O. 13582 for having acted for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, and having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial support for, or goods or services in support of, Milenyum, Blue Energy, and the U.S.- and E.U.-designated Abdulkarim Group. Aydin is an employee of Milenyum and has coordinated the shipment of LPG and gasoil to Syria.

Shipping Vessels and Entities

The Tala, Blue Dream, Green Light, Mariana, Aqua, Blue Way, and Blue Gas are shipping vessels owned or controlled by Milenyum. The Aqua is owned by Aqua Shipping Ltd., a front company for Milenyum. Of note, the Tala and the Blue Way are used to transport thousands of metric tons of LPG, gasoil, and other energy-related products from third countries to Banias, Syria, a regime-controlled port, on behalf of Milenyum. These vessels have been identified as property in which Milenyum has an interest and are blocked pursuant to E.O. 13582.

Separately, OFAC is also identifying six entities and three vessels that are blocked by operation of law pursuant to E.O. 13582 as property in which the Government of Syria has an interest. The entities are the General Directorate of Syrian Ports, Lattakia Port General Company, Tartous Port General Company, Syrian General Authority for Maritime Transport, Syrian Shipping Agencies Company, and the Syrian Chamber of Shipping. The vessels are the Finikia, the Laodicea, and the Souria.

For identifying information, please click here.

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