U.S. Treasury Sanctions Members of Japan’s Major Crime Syndicate

The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced Tuesday that it has sanctioned two companies and four people associated with Japan’s largest crime syndicate, the Yakuza. “Treasury is targeting Yakuza-controlled companies to expose the underlying ownership of these seemingly legitimate companies.  We are ramping up pressure on this dangerous Japanese crime syndicate and local gang leaders who profit from everything from sexual exploitation, to weapons smuggling, and extortion,” said Sigal Mandelker, treasury under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, in a press release from the Treasury Department. The press release adds that this is the first time that the Yakuza has been sanctioned by the OFAC. As a result of the sanctions, U.S. citizens are generally prohibited from doing business with any of the named businesses or individuals, all of whom have been linked to the Yakuza syndicate Yamaguchi-gumi.