February 22, 2007
HP-274

Statement by Adam J. Szubin, OFAC Director
On Charges Against Individuals for Fraudulently Violating
Cuba Sanctions

Miami, FLORIDA – Adam J. Szubin, Director of the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), made the following statement today in response to the unsealing of a criminal complaint charging defendants Victor Vazquez and David Margolis with conspiracy to violate restrictions on travel to Cuba.  Defendant Vazquez is additionally charged with the making materially false statements in applications to obtain religious travel licenses to Cuba. 

The criminal complaint unsealed today marks an important step in stopping fraud involved in facilitating violations of restrictions on travel to Cuba.

OFAC issues hundreds of licenses each year to individuals and groups seeking to engage in legitimate religious activities and programs in Cuba.  Those who fraudulently obtain or traffic in such licenses not only commit a crime, but also undermine the good works of legitimate religious groups traveling to Cuba. 

The Cuban Sanctions Enforcement Task Force, headed by the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, is moving aggressively to stop such violations, pursuing criminal investigations against those involved in unlicensed dealings with Cuba, whether travel, remittances, or other prohibited activities.  I commend the Task Force's efforts to halt this abuse and OFAC will continue to support its activities.

OFAC investigators played a key role in uncovering the activity that is being exposed today.  OFAC has detected abuse among religious license applicants and the travel providers who service them, including fabricated religious organizations, ministers, and programs of religious activity. 

As today's action demonstrates, OFAC takes the integrity of U.S. sanctions programs very seriously and will continue to work to safeguard these sanctions programs against abuse. Those who seek to evade sanctions laws face serious penalties, both civil and criminal.

For more information on today's action, please visit the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida: http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.

For more information on the Cuban Assets Control Regulations, please visit the following link: http://www.treasury.gov/offices/enforcement/ofac/programs/cuba/cuba.shtml.