Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

U.S. Seizure of Three Websites Used by Iranian Front Company that Was Shipping Fuel on Four Tankers to Venezuela
whitehouse.gov ^ | August 28, 2020 | DOJ

Posted on 08/28/2020 5:34:05 PM PDT by ransomnote

The Justice Department today announced the seizure of three websites used by three front companies: Mobin International, Sohar Fuel, and Oman Fuel, who arranged a multimillion dollar fuel shipment by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a designated foreign terrorist organization, that was bound for Venezuela. 

On July 2, 2020, the United States filed a complaint seeking to forfeit all petroleum-product cargo aboard four foreign-flagged oil tankers, including the M/T Bella with international maritime organization (IMO) number 9208124, the M/T Bering with IMO number 9149225, the M/T Pandi with IMO number 9105073, and the M/T Luna with IMO number 9208100.  A seizure order for the cargo from all four vessels was issued by U.S. District Court Judge Boasberg of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

On Aug. 14, 2020, the United States announced that it successfully executed the seizure order and confiscated the cargo from all four vessels, totaling approximately 1.116 million barrels of petroleum.  With the assistance of foreign partners, this seized property is now in U.S. custody.  

Funds successfully forfeited with a connection to a state sponsor of terrorism may in whole or in part be directed to the United States Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund (http://www.usvsst.com/) after the conclusion of the case.

The forfeiture complaint alleged how Mohammad Madanipour used a web of front companies, including Mobin International to perpetrate this scheme.  The websites for Mobin International and related front companies, Sohar Fuel, and Oman Fuel, now display the following splash page noting control by the U.S. government:

Notification of Seizure

Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 2232, interfering with lawful execution of the United States seizure order may subject a party to criminal penalties for interfering with the jurisdiction of the U.S. District Court for District of Columbia over the petroleum cargo.

A warrant for arrest and civil forfeiture complaint are merely allegations.  The burden to prove forfeitability in a civil forfeiture proceeding is upon the government.

HSI’s Colorado Springs and FBI’s Minneapolis field office are investigating the case. The case is being handled by the National Security Division and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia. The Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section is managing the seizure and forfeiture process.  Assistant U.S Attorneys Zia M. Faruqui, Brian Hudak, Stuart Allen, and Jessi Brooks, and National Security Division Trial Attorney David Lim are litigating the case, with assistance from Paralegal Specialists Elizabeth Swienc, Legal Assistant Jessica McCormick, and Records Examiner Angela De Falco.

Topic(s): 
Counterintelligence and Export Control
National Security
Component(s): 
Press Release Number: 
20-839


TOPICS: Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS:

1 posted on 08/28/2020 5:34:05 PM PDT by ransomnote
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: ransomnote

I’d rather they locked up Comey, Brennan and Wray.

[H->! is way too protected]


2 posted on 08/28/2020 5:35:23 PM PDT by Paladin2
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Paladin2

Venezuela is a neocon obsession. I wish the Trump administration would fix America First.

Right now we don’t have freedom in America, with a number of Dem governors forcing churches to close. Until the Trump administration fights these tyrant constitution-flouting governors, I don’t give a crap what’s going on in Venezuela.


3 posted on 08/28/2020 6:11:28 PM PDT by rintintin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: ransomnote
from https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/the-world-s-largest-oil-reserves-by-country.html

With 298,400,000,000 barrels of oil, Venezuela is the country with the largest oil reserves in the world. This amount makes up for 17,9% of the world's total oil reserves.

Socialism is so awesome that a smallish country with the greatest proved oil reserves of any other country on earth, has to import it.

4 posted on 08/28/2020 6:12:28 PM PDT by Mr.FixIt (Ethanol: Growing in four months what the U.S.A. burns in one day)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ransomnote

***that Was Shipping Fuel on Four Tankers to Venezuela***

Isn’t that like “Carrying Coals to Newcastle?” Who would have thought one of the richest oil countries in the world would be importing fuel.


5 posted on 08/28/2020 6:35:17 PM PDT by Ruy Dias de Bivar
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Ruy Dias de Bivar
They were importing fuel, not oil. There's a difference.

Venezuelan crude oil is hard to refine and they don't have the capability to do it. They don't have the capability to do much of anything thanks to Chavez and Maduro.

6 posted on 08/28/2020 11:42:34 PM PDT by GaryCrow
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: rintintin

Bitch bitch bitch...

Do something useful: https://freerepublic.com/donate/


7 posted on 08/29/2020 4:15:01 AM PDT by trebb (Don't howl about illegal leeches, or Trump in general, while not donating to FR - it's hypocritical.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: GaryCrow

And to think, CITGO was Venezuelan owned, refined and supplied fuel to the US.
Like the old joke goes...”What did Socialists use for light before candles?”
And: “Electricity”.


8 posted on 08/29/2020 7:06:42 AM PDT by Ruy Dias de Bivar
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson