March 12, 2025 | Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has announced sanctions against the Foxtrot Network, a notorious transnational criminal organization (TCO) based in Sweden. The gang, known for its involvement in drug trafficking, violent crimes, and arms smuggling, has been implicated in carrying out attacks on Israeli and Jewish targets in Europe on behalf of the Iranian regime. The sanctions also target the group’s fugitive leader, Rawa Majid.
Iran’s Exploitation of Criminal Networks
The designation of the Foxtrot Network underscores Iran’s continued reliance on criminal organizations to further its geopolitical objectives while maintaining plausible deniability. According to U.S. officials, the Iranian regime has increasingly used such networks to carry out violent operations, including targeting U.S. nationals and planning terrorist attacks against Israel and Jewish communities in Europe. The regime has also leveraged criminal groups to assassinate Iranian dissidents abroad, a tactic previously revealed through the actions of Iranian narcotics trafficker Naji Ibrahim Sharifi-Zindashti, who was sanctioned in January 2024.
“Iran’s brazen use of transnational criminal organizations and narcotics traffickers underscores the regime’s attempts to achieve its aims through any means, with no regard for the cost to communities across Europe,” stated U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. “Treasury, alongside our U.S. government and international partners, will continue to hold accountable those who seek to further Iran’s thuggish and destabilizing agenda.”
The Foxtrot Network’s Criminal Activities
The Foxtrot Network has a well-documented history of violent crime, including contract killings, shootings, and assaults. The gang is also one of the most dominant drug trafficking organizations in Sweden and has expanded its operations to other European countries. The group’s involvement in arms trafficking has contributed to escalating violence in Sweden, and its use of teenage operatives to carry out attacks has further intensified the crisis.
In January 2024, the Foxtrot Network orchestrated an attack on the Israeli Embassy in Stockholm on behalf of the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS). MOIS, which has been previously sanctioned by OFAC and the U.S. State Department, has been accused of coordinating with Majid to execute Iran’s extraterritorial operations. Majid, who remains at large, is also facing multiple Swedish charges related to drug and firearms trafficking.
Sanctions and Their Implications
Under Executive Order (E.O.) 13581, as amended by E.O. 13863, OFAC has designated the Foxtrot Network as a significant transnational criminal organization. Majid has been sanctioned for acting on behalf of the group. As a result of these sanctions:
- All property and interests in property of the designated persons in the United States or under U.S. jurisdiction are blocked.
- U.S. persons are prohibited from conducting transactions involving the designated entities or individuals without specific authorization from OFAC.
- Entities owned 50% or more by one or more blocked persons are also subject to sanctions.
Violations of these sanctions could result in civil or criminal penalties for U.S. persons. Additionally, non-U.S. persons are barred from facilitating transactions that would violate these restrictions, whether knowingly or unknowingly.
Continued U.S. Efforts to Counter Iranian Influence
Today’s sanctions are part of the U.S. government’s broader strategy under National Security Presidential Memorandum-2, aimed at disrupting and denying Iran’s ability to sustain its illicit activities. By targeting criminal organizations that serve as proxies for the Iranian regime, the U.S. aims to weaken Tehran’s capacity to carry out covert operations in Europe and beyond.
As the international community grapples with the threats posed by Iran’s destabilizing actions, these sanctions send a clear message: entities that collaborate with Tehran’s criminal networks will face consequences.
