The U.S. Treasury on Monday removed 84 entries from its sanctions registries, a step officials said is intended to streamline sanctions programs and reduce compliance burdens on the financial sector.
The deletions represent the second tranche of removals since Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent initiated a comprehensive review of sanctions policy in May. Earlier in the process the Treasury excised 76 outdated targets from its lists.
A Treasury official described the effort as an attempt to keep sanctions efficient and focused while eliminating unnecessary entries that accumulated under prior administrations. The official highlighted the rapid expansion in designations in recent years, saying that more than 3,000 names were added in 2024, compared with 880 in 2017.
The 84 removals from the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List were categorized in several groups. They include 36 listings tied to deceased individuals and their associated entries; 33 Iraq-related entities originally designated in 1991 or 1992; seven narcotics-related listings connected to entities in Colombia that officials described as defunct; and eight listings tied to narcotics kingpins that the Treasury said have been disrupted.
In addition to deletions, the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control updated entries for 22 individuals and entities to add or clarify previously missing key identifiers. Treasury officials said each removal was coordinated with other agencies to confirm the change would not harm U.S. foreign policy or national security interests. The department also noted that names removed from the lists can be reinstated if circumstances warrant.
The Treasury’s consolidated sanctions lists now exceed 17,000 entries. Secretary Bessent has stated that sanctions are not intended to be a permanent instrument, and the recent removals are presented as part of implementing that stance.
Summary of action
- 84 companies and individuals removed from Treasury sanctions lists.
- Second round of removals after an earlier cut of 76 listings.
- Removals included deceased individuals, older Iraq-related entities, and narcotics-related listings tied to Colombia and disrupted kingpins.