Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

US launches ‘KleptoCapture’ task force against Russian oligarchs

US launches ‘KleptoCapture’ task force against Russian oligarchs

The initiative aims to hold accountable oligarchs who violate United States sanctions and restrictions amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The United States is moving “to hold accountable corrupt Russian oligarchs” amid Russia’s ongoing military assault on Ukraine, as the US Department of Justice announced the creation of a new task force to ensure a raft of US sanctions are being enforced.

The task force – dubbed “KleptoCapture” – will enforce sweeping US sanctions, export restrictions and other economic curbs imposed after Russian troops launched an invasion of Ukraine late last week.

“The Justice Department will use all of its authorities to seize the assets of individuals and entities who violate these sanctions,” US Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement on Wednesday.

“We will leave no stone unturned in our efforts to investigate, arrest, and prosecute those whose criminal acts enable the Russian government to continue this unjust war. Let me be clear: if you violate our laws, we will hold you accountable.”


US President Joe Biden first announced the task force during his State of the Union address on Tuesday evening, saying the US would “go after the crimes of the Russian oligarchs”.

“We’re joining with European allies to find and seize their yachts, their luxury apartments, their private jets,” Biden said, adding that the country also would close its airspace to all Russian aircraft.

The US, European Union (EU) and other allied nations have imposed sanctions against Russian President Vladimir Putin, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and members of Putin’s inner circle in response to the invasion of Ukraine.

Other economic restrictions also targeted Russia’s central bank, among other financial institutions, as the international community pushes for an end to the Russian military assault on its neighbour.

The offensive, which saw Russian forces launch a barrage of attacks on Ukrainian cities on Wednesday and edge closer to the capital, Kyiv, has pushed more than 870,000 people to flee the country, according to the United Nations.

On Sunday, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said the bloc would shut its airspace for Russian-owned, registered and controlled aircraft. “They won’t be able to land in, take off or overfly the territory of the EU,” she wrote on Twitter. “Including the private jets of oligarchs.”


The US task force will be run out of the office of Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco and it will have the power to investigate and prosecute US sanctions violations, or efforts to undermine restrictions on Russian financial institutions.

Investigators will also target any attempts to use cryptocurrency to evade US sanctions, the Justice Department said, and will have the power to seize the assets of sanctioned individuals or assets identified as coming from unlawful conduct.

“To those bolstering the Russian regime through corruption and sanctions evasion: we will deprive you of safe haven and hold you accountable,” Monaco said in the department’s statement. “Oligarchs be warned: we will use every tool to freeze and seize your criminal proceeds.”

Later on Wednesday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that he will be visiting Belgium, Poland, Moldova, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia over the next week.

The secretary of state said the sanctions imposed by the US and its allies have had a “powerful effect” on the Russian economy.

“President Putin may have assumed that the United States and our allies were bluffing when we warned of massive, unprecedented consequences,” Blinken told reporters. “But as President Biden likes to say, big nations can’t bluff. The United States doesn’t bluff.”

Still, he added that Washington has not closed the door for diplomacy to resolve the crisis.

“It’s much more difficult for diplomacy to succeed when guns are firing, tanks are rolling, planes are flying,” he said. “But if Russia pulls back and pursues diplomacy, we stand ready to do the same thing.”

Blinken also said the US supports “any diplomatic efforts” by Ukraine to secure a ceasefire. Russian and Ukrainian representatives had met for talks near the Belarusian border earlier this week, but the negotiations failed to produce an end to the violence.


Meanwhile, a US teenager who previously tracked the private jet of Tesla founder Elon Musk, has focused his attention on the jets of Russian oligarchs, US media outlets have reported.

Jack Sweeney, 19, runs two Twitter pages that respectively track aircraft associated with Putin, the Russian president, as well as Russian oligarchs, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The latter account, dubbed Russian Oligarch Jets, tracked approximately 40 planes and helicopters associated with the oligarchs as of Tuesday, the newspaper said. It had more than 274,000 followers as of Wednesday afternoon.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Hungary Ranked Among the World’s Safest Travel Destinations for 2025
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
×