Nicaragua Sanctions Expanding: Now Include Nicaraguan National Police

On March 5, 2020, the Department of Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced the addition of the Nicaraguan National Police (NNP) and three individuals to OFAC's Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) List.  This is a notable expansion of Nicaragua-related sanctions, which previously covered a handful of individuals and entities.

U.S. persons are prohibited from engaging in any transactions with SDNs without an OFAC license and must block property in which an SDN has an interest. OFAC licenses are required to conduct business with SDNs.

OFAC also issued two General Licenses: Nicaragua General License No. 1 related to official US government business and Nicaragua General License No. 2 related to the wind down of transactions involving the Nicaraguan National Police.

OFAC also explained in a published FAQ:

OFAC’s designation of the NNP is directed at the NNP as an institution for the violent abuses carried out against the people of Nicaragua. The blocking sanctions apply to the NNP, as well as to the three named NNP commissioners who were designated on the same day, and not to individual, non-designated NNP police officers.

More information on these actions can be found on OFAC's Nicaragua-related sanctions page and OFAC's press release.

The SDN and other government sanctions lists may change daily.  Keep up with these and other changes with ECScreening.