On August 28, 2020, the US Department of Justice announced the seizure of three websites used by three front companies accused of arranging a multi-million dollar fuel shipment bound for Venezuela by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a designated foreign terrorist organization. Websites belonging to Mobin International, Sohar Fuel, and Oman Fuel were seized and now display notices that they are under the control of the US government.
The seizures follow a July 2, 2020 forfeiture action brought in the US District Court for the District of Columbia, related to the shipment of 1 million barrels of petroleum-related cargo aboard four oil tankers that were contracted by Mobin International for transport to Venezuela. The federal judge in that case issued a warrant for the seizure of the petroleum-related cargo, and on August 12, 2020, the US successfully executed the seizure order, confiscating approximately 1.116 million barrels of petroleum from all four tankers with the assistance of foreign partners, and the cargo is now in US custody. If the government prevails, any forfeited funds with a connection to state sponsored terrorism may in whole or in part be directed to the US Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund.