The Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is taking action against Marshall Islands-registered shipping company Vishnu Inc., whose vessel, the LADY SOFIA, is involved in illicit shipments to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in support of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF) and Houthi financial facilitator Sa’id al-Jamal, who is sanctioned under U.S. counterterrorism authorities.
The Vishnu Inc. owned and managed LADY SOFIA (IMO: 9212759) engaged in a ship-to-ship transfer with the recently sanctioned vessel MEHLE (IMO: 9191711) on January 31, 2024, which deceptively obscured its transfer of commodities to the LADY SOFIA through “spoofing”—an automatic identification system (AIS) manipulation that masks the vessel’s true location. Disguised as a fictitious vessel called the “AMOR,” and incorrectly broadcasting its location as the South China Sea, the MEHLE offloaded its illicit cargo to the LADY SOFIA near Singapore. The LADY SOFIA is currently traveling to the PRC, carrying the Iranian commodities it received from the MEHLE on behalf of Sa’id al-Jamal.
The MEHLE was identified on January 12, 2024, as property in which Cielo Maritime Ltd has an interest. Cielo Maritime Ltd was concurrently designated pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, Sa’id al-Jamal.
Vishnu Inc. is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, Sa’id al-Jamal. The LADY SOFIA is being identified as property in which Vishnu Inc. has an interest.