The Office of Foreign Assets Control is amending the maximum civil penalty amount for certain sanctions violations to reflect inflation adjustments for its civil monetary penalties, it said in a notice. The changes, effective March 17, increase the maximum penalties for violating the Trading With the Enemy Act, the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996, the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act and the Clean Diamond Trade Act. OFAC also increased the maximum civil penalties for certain record-keeping violations and made several technical changes to “consolidate or shorten” certain citations in OFAC’s regulations.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control fined a Cleveland process controls and instrument manufacturer more than $215,000 for violating U.S. sanctions against Iran, OFAC said in a March 15 notice. The company, UniControl, Inc., exported goods to European companies despite knowing they would ultimately be sent to Iran, OFAC said. The agency said the company failed to “act on multiple apparent warning signs.”

The Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned the adult children of the commander-in-chief of the Myanmar military and their six companies, the agency said March 10. The designations target Aung Pyae Sone and Khin Thiri Thet Mon, who have “directly benefitted from their father’s position and malign influence.” OFAC also sanctioned the companies A&M Mahar Company Limited, Sky One Construction Company Limited, The Yangon Restaurant, The Yangon Gallery, Everfit Company Limited and Seventh Sense Company Limited.

The Bureau of Industry and Security denied export privileges for a German aircraft maintenance company and fined it more than $50,000 for procuring U.S. parts and components for a sanctioned Iranian airline. MSI Aircraft Maintenance Services International GmbH & Co. worked with Iran’s Mahan Airways (see 2011270001) to illegally export U.S.-origin reservoir and valve assemblies, which were controlled under the Export Administration Regulations, BIS said in a March 5 order. The agency said it will waive MSI’s three-year export denial if the company pays the fine, cooperates with BIS during a three-year probationary period and doesn’t commit any more EAR violations.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control on March 5 updated an Iran-related entry on its Specially Designated Nationals List. The agency updated the entry for Hasan Mortezavi, who was sanctioned in 2010 for involvement with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps-Qods Force. OFAC didn’t release more information, and the Treasury Department didn’t comment.

Five companies said they may have violated U.S. sanctions, export controls or anti-corruption laws, according to their February Securities and Exchange Commission filings. The potential violations involved illegal exports, providing services to sanctioned territories and gift cards sent to the Chinese government.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned Mexican national Juan Manuel Abouzaid El Bayeh for helping to move drug shipments and launder money for the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion, a March 3 news release said. The agency labeled Abouzaid El Bayeh a Specially Designated Narcotics Trafficker. The designation was OFAC’s 12th action against the cartel, which was sanctioned in 2015.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned Mansur Al-Sa’adi and Ahmad ’Ali Ahsan al-Hamzi, who are responsible for organizing attacks by Houthi forces against Yemeni civilians, bordering nations and commercial ships, OFAC said March 2. OFAC said Al-Sa’adi is chief of staff for the Houthi Naval Forces and has helped smuggle Iranian weapons into Yemen. Al-Hamzi is the commander of Yemen’s Houthi-aligned Yemeni Air Force and Air Defense Forces and has also “acquired” Iranian weapons to use in Yemen.

Export Compliance Daily is providing readers with the top stories for Feb. 22-26 in case you missed them. You can find any article by searching on the title or by clicking on the hyperlinked reference number.

The U.S. sanctioned a host of Russian officials and agencies, will add 14 entities to the Entity List and will increase restrictions on exports of military-related goods to Russia in response to the poisoning and imprisonment of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. The increased export controls will also remove certain license exceptions for shipments to Russia and will impose stricter license review policies for certain sensitive goods, the State Department said March 2.