Treasury Department sanctions two businessmen, five companies in Houthi-linked petroleum smuggling

The Treasury Department on Tuesday sanctioned two businessmen and five companies in a Houthi-linked petroleum smuggling network.

“The Houthis collaborate with opportunistic businessmen to reap enormous profits from the importation of petroleum products and to enable the group’s access to the international financial system,” Treasury Deputy Secretary Michael Faulkender said in a statement.

“These networks of shady businesses underpin the Houthis’ terrorist machine, and Treasury will use all tools at its disposal to disrupt these schemes.”

The sanctions target two people and five of their companies located across Yemen and the United Arab Emirates, who are significant petroleum product importers and money launderers that benefit the Houthis.  

The Iran-backed Houthis work with privately-owned companies to continue receiving petroleum product shipments into areas under their control in Yemen. The Houthis then profit by controlling the selling price of these petroleum products to the Yemeni people, which is usually at a significant markup. 

Muhammad Al-Sunaydar, Arkan Mars Petroleum Company for Oil Products Imports, Arkan Mars Petroleum DMCC, Arkan Mars Petroleum FZE, Yahya Mohammed Al Wazir, Al-Saida Stone for Trading and Agencies, and Amran Cement Factory are the two people and five businesses that have been sanctioned.