OFAC removes Iraq, Colombia, Venezuela and Belarus designations; updates Mexico, Hong Kong and vessel entries; publishes Iran alert and amended FAQ 156

What's on the official record

On 5 October 2026, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) published a multi-part action on its recent-actions page. The page carries four components: designations removals, designations updates, publication of an Iran-related OFAC Alert, and publication of an amended Iran-related Frequently Asked Question.

Iran-related publications. OFAC is publishing an Iran-related Alert titled "Notice to Foreign Financial Institutions Conducting Business with Iran." OFAC is also publishing one amended Iran-related Frequently Asked Question, FAQ 156. The page cites no Executive Order for these two publications.

Designations removals. The page lists deletions from OFAC's SDN List under four program tags. Under [IRAQ2], OFAC removed a set of individuals and entities, including former Iraqi ministers and officials and the entities AMD CO. LTD AGENCY, ARAB PROJECTS COMPANY S.A. LTD., DURAND PROPERTIES LIMITED, FARTRADE HOLDINGS S.A., HELFORD DIRECTORS LIMITED, TIGRIS TRADING, INC., and the TARIQ ABU SHANAB EST. FOR TRADE & COMMERCE group of aliases. Under [SDNT], OFAC removed individuals and entities tied to Colombia, including HERNANDEZ ZEA, Luis Antonio (a.k.a. "EL CAPITAN"), QUINTERO SANCLEMENTE, Ramon Alberto, and numerous Colombian and Mexican companies. Under [VENEZUELA], OFAC removed LUCENA RAMIREZ, Tibisay, VIVAS VELASCO, Ramon Dario, and GARCIA CARNEIRO, Jorge Luis. Under [BELARUS-EO14038], OFAC removed AURAMENKA, Aliaksei Mikalaevich and his alias entries. The page cites no Executive Order for these removals.

Designations updates. The page lists changes to existing SDN List entries. Under [NPWMD] [IFSR], OFAC updated the Hong Kong entities AE INTERNATIONAL TRADE CO LIMITED, HIN YUN TRADING COMPANY LIMITED, and QIAN XI LONG TRADING CO LIMITED. Under [SDNTK], OFAC updated a set of Mexico-linked individuals, including members of the ARELLANO FELIX family and others. Under [SDGT], OFAC updated two vessels: LA PEARL (5IM808), now JAMES II (5IM808), and VICTORIA (S9Z6), now DA LI (S9Z6); the page notes for these vessels a secondary sanctions risk under section 1(b) of Executive Order 13224, as amended by Executive Order 13886. Under [IRAN], OFAC updated the vessel NAVARZ, linked to NATIONAL IRANIAN TANKER COMPANY. The page lists no unrelated administrative list changes.

Assessment

For a sanctions or trade-finance committee, the record lets you re-screen the removed and updated entries against your own customer and counterparty files. The removals span four programs — Iraq, Colombia, Venezuela, and Belarus — so a name that was a list hit on 4 October 2026 may no longer be one on 5 October 2026, and the updated Mexico, Hong Kong, and vessel entries carry revised identifiers you should reconcile against your screening data. The page states what OFAC removed and updated; it does not state a rationale for individual removals beyond the action itself.

For an owner or operating executive, the record lets you check whether any counterparty, vessel, or entity you transact with appears among the removed or updated entries. The vessel updates rename LA PEARL to JAMES II and VICTORIA to DA LI, and the NAVARZ entry changes its identifiers, so a vessel you track may now appear under a different name or flag. The page reports OFAC's list changes; it does not state that any particular company is or is not exposed.

What would change this call

A follow-on Treasury or OFAC statement explaining the criteria behind the removals, or a new designation wave under the same modernization framing, would change the read from list hygiene to a broader policy shift. A partner-jurisdiction action mirroring any of the removals or updates would also change the call.

What to check next

Confidence

Filed 25 October 2026 from the record dated 5 October 2026.

Sources

[1] OFAC Recent Actions, "Designations Removals; Designations Updates; Publication of Iran-related OFAC Alert; Publication of Amended Iran-related Frequently Asked Question", 5 October 2026, https://ofac.treasury.gov/recent-actions/20261005