2026-08-20T00:00:00ZLOW
U.S. Sanctions Hizballah Cash Smuggling Network; Gold Price Impact Very Low
On August 20, the U.S. Treasury's OFAC sanctioned 10 individuals allegedly involved in a network that used commercial flights to smuggle hundreds of millions of dollars in cash between Lebanon, Turkey, the UAE, and Iran. OFAC also re-designated Hizballah as a terrorist organization controlled or directed by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force (IRGC-QF) under Executive Order 13224.
2026-08-20T00:00:00ZNONE
U.S. Sanctions Ecuador Cocaine Network, Unrelated to Gold Market
On August 20, 2026, the U.S. Treasury sanctioned an Ecuador-based cocaine trafficking network, involving 15 targets and 10 vessels, linked to violent gangs and Mexican cartels. The action is part of Operation Pacific Viper, which has seized over 225,000 pounds of cocaine.