Today, Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned the Foxtrot Network, a transnational criminal organization (TCO) primarily based in Sweden that has trafficked illicit drugs and that carried out attacks on Israelis and Jews in Europe, along with its fugitive leader Rawa Majid. In January 2024, the Foxtrot Network orchestrated an attack on the Israeli Embassy in Stockholm, Sweden, on behalf of the Government of Iran.
“Iran’s brazen use of transnational criminal organizations and narcotics traffickers underscores the regime’s attempts to achieve its aims through any means, with no regard for the cost to communities across Europe,” said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. “Treasury, alongside our U.S. government and international partners, will continue to hold accountable those who seek to further Iran’s thuggish and destabilizing agenda.”
Today’s action builds on Treasury’s continued implementation of National Security Presidential Memorandum-2, aimed at disrupting, degrading, and denying the Iranian regime’s ability to sustain its criminal destabilizing activities.
IRAN’S CONTINUED USE OF CRIMINALS AND OTHER PROXIES
The Iranian regime, as part of its efforts to maintain plausible deniability for its external operations, has increasingly leveraged criminal networks as proxies to pursue its aims. It has targeted U.S. nationals and, in furtherance of its stated commitment to achieve the destruction of Israel, has planned terror attacks against Israeli and Jewish targets across Europe. Iranian government officials have also sought to assassinate Iranian dissidents through criminal networks, as evidenced by the operations of Iranian narcotics trafficker Naji Ibrahim Sharifi-Zindashti, who was sanctioned by OFAC on January 29, 2024.
TRANSNATIONAL CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES OF THE FOXTROT NETWORK
The Foxtrot Network is one of the most notorious criminal gangs based in Sweden and has conducted shootings, contract killings, assaults, and other forms of violence. The group is also one of the most prominent drug trafficking organizations in the region with a presence in other European countries. The Foxtrot Network has also trafficked arms and is one of the main contributors to rising violence in Sweden. It routinely uses teenagers to conduct attacks, such as in the Foxtrot Network’s killing of a rival gang leader’s mother.
In January 2024, the Foxtrot Network orchestrated an attack on the Israeli Embassy in Stockholm, Sweden, on behalf of Iran. Rawa Majid (Majid), who leads the gang, has specifically cooperated with the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS). MOIS has been previously sanctioned by OFAC and the U.S. Department of State under multiple authorities. Majid is also the subject of numerous Swedish charges related to narcotics and firearms trafficking.
OFAC is sanctioning the Foxtrot Network pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13581, as amended by E.O. 13863, for being a foreign person that constitutes a significant TCO. OFAC is sanctioning Majid pursuant to E.O. 13581, as amended, for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, the Foxtrot Network.
SANCTIONS IMPLICATIONS
As a result of today’s action, all property and interests in property of the designated persons described above that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC. In addition, any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, individually or in the aggregate, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked. Unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC, or exempt, OFAC’s regulations generally prohibit all transactions by U.S. persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of designated or otherwise blocked persons.
U.S. persons may face civil or criminal penalties for violations of E.O. 13581, as amended. Non-U.S. persons are also prohibited from causing or conspiring to cause U.S. persons to wittingly or unwittingly violate U.S. sanctions, as well as engaging in conduct that evades U.S. sanctions. OFAC’s Economic Sanctions Enforcement Guidelines provide more information regarding OFAC’s enforcement of U.S. sanctions, including the factors that OFAC generally considers when determining an appropriate response to an apparent violation.