OFAC removes Russia and counter-narcotics designations; issues Venezuela GL 5Z, FAQ 595

What's on the official record

16 September 2026 — GL 5Z, amended FAQ 595, three SDN deletions. The Office of Foreign Assets Control issued Venezuela-related General License 5Z, "Authorizing Certain Transactions Related to the Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. 2020 8.5 Percent Bond on or After November 5, 2026," and issued one amended Venezuela-related Frequently Asked Question, FAQ 595 (/faqs/595). The page cites no Executive Order for General License 5Z or for FAQ 595.

OFAC also updated the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List with three deletions. The counter-narcotics removal is VEGA SANCHEZ, Jose Raul (Mexico), tagged [SDNTK]; the page cites no Executive Order for this action. The two Russia-related removals are BOMATTER, Hans Peter (Switzerland), linked to TAMYNA AG, and MODULSAN MAKINA KESICI TAKIM VE DISLI SANAYI TICARET LIMITED SIRKETI (Turkey), both under Executive Order 14024 and both carrying secondary sanctions risk under Section 11 of Executive Order 14024. The page lists no unrelated administrative changes. The recent-actions path is https://ofac.treasury.gov/recent-actions/20260916.

Assessment

For a sanctions or trade-finance committee, the record shows three SDN deletions and one new Venezuela authorization to check against screening and transaction review. The committee can verify whether the removed names, the MODULSAN entity, or the linked TAMYNA AG reappear in counterparty due diligence after 16 September 2026, and whether General License 5Z changes treatment of the PDVSA 2020 8.5 percent bond on or after 5 November 2026. The page does not state the license's operative conditions, so the committee would check the General License 5Z text.

For an owner or operating executive, the record supplies the removed names, the linked entity, and a dated Venezuela authorization to check against the company's own counterparty and transaction decisions. An executive can confirm whether any removed name or TAMYNA AG appears in current relationships and decide whether the 5 November 2026 authorization date on the PDVSA 2020 8.5 percent bond affects a planned transaction. The license's own text, which the page does not reproduce, governs the conditions.

What would change this call

A re-listing of any of the three removed entries, a further SDN update to the same date, or the published text of General License 5Z and amended FAQ 595 stating a different or narrower scope than the door page title conveys would change this call.

What to check next

Item	Why
Confirm the current SDN status of VEGA SANCHEZ, BOMATTER, and MODULSAN	A deletion may be followed by re-listing or further administrative changes
Read General License 5Z	The page states the title but not the operative scope or conditions
Read amended FAQ 595	The page links the FAQ but does not reproduce its amended answer
Confirm the linked entity TAMYNA AG's listing status	The page lists it as linked to BOMATTER but does not describe a separate action

Confidence

Filed 25 October 2026 from the record dated 16 September 2026. Facts come only from the OFAC recent-actions page for 16 September 2026.

Sources

[1] OFAC Recent Actions, "Russia-related Designations Removals; Counter Narcotics Designation Removal; Issuance of Amended Venezuela General License and Frequently Asked Question", 16 September 2026, https://ofac.treasury.gov/recent-actions/20260916