Russia caught red-handed stealing Ukrainian grain, arming terrorists, and cashing in while Biden’s Treasury Department scrambles to impose mostly symbolic sanctions instead of taking meaningful action.

At a Glance

• US Treasury sanctions network smuggling stolen Ukrainian grain and Russian weapons to Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen
• Russian-flagged vessel AM THESEUS identified as central player in maritime smuggling operation
• Treasury targets Hong Kong company, Russian captains, and Houthi financial facilitators linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards
• Sanctions reveal complex web involving Russia, Iran, and Houthi terrorists collaborating to undermine Western interests

Biden Administration Plays Whack-a-Mole While Russia Gets Rich

While Americans struggle to afford groceries thanks to Bidenomics, Russia is literally stealing Ukrainian grain and selling it to terrorists. The U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has sanctioned a network of Iran-backed Houthi financial facilitators who are procuring stolen Ukrainian grain and weapons from Russia. The Biden administration would like you to believe they’re taking strong action, but they’re basically playing bureaucratic whack-a-mole while Putin laughs all the way to the bank.

At the center of this maritime shell game is the Russian-flagged vessel AM THESEUS, also known as ZAFAR, which has been delivering stolen Ukrainian grain from Crimea to Yemen in 2024. The ship’s owner, a Hong Kong-based company called AM Asia M6 Ltd, along with Russian captains Vyacheslav Vladimirovich Vidanov and Yuri Vladimirovich Belyakov, have all been sanctioned. But let’s be honest – does anyone believe these paper sanctions will stop Russia from continuing to profit from Ukraine’s suffering?

A Web of Terror Spanning Three Continents

The sanctions reveal a complex network involving Russia-based Afghan businessmen Hushang and Sohrab Ghairat, who coordinated with Sa’id al-Jamal, a senior Houthi financial official backed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF). These bad actors procured tens of millions of dollars in commodities from Russia, including the weapons now being used to attack commercial shipping in the Red Sea. But instead of cutting off the head of the snake, the Biden administration is content with bureaucratic half-measures.

“The Houthis remain reliant on Sa’id al-Jamal and his network to procure critical goods to supply the group’s terrorist war machine”, says Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

While the Treasury Department pats itself on the back for identifying eight digital asset wallets used by the Houthis for fund transfers, these terrorists continue launching missiles, drones, and naval mines against commercial shipping.

Since November 2023, the Houthis have conducted over 50 attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea, making a mockery of international law and America’s supposed maritime dominance. Where’s the decisive action we need to stop this madness?

Bureaucratic Sanctions vs. Real Consequences

The Treasury’s announcement proudly explains how these sanctions block all property and interests of designated persons and prohibit U.S. transactions with them. Great. But what about the Houthis who are actively recruiting Yemeni civilians to fight for Russia in Ukraine? What about the seven high-ranking Houthi members who continue to secure weapons and support from Russia? The Biden administration has been playing this sanctions game for years, yet somehow the threats only grow stronger.

“By seeking weapons from a growing array of international suppliers, Houthi leaders have shown their intent to continue their reckless and destabilizing actions in the Red Sea region”, concludes Bessent.

The Treasury wants us to believe their ultimate goal is “encouraging positive behavioral change, not punishment.” Are you kidding me? These are terrorists stealing grain, smuggling weapons, and attacking international shipping lanes.

They don’t need encouragement or behavior modification – they need to be stopped with real consequences, not paperwork. While bureaucrats in Washington fiddle with their sanctions lists, Russia continues profiting from stolen Ukrainian resources, Iran’s influence grows, and global shipping remains under attack. Americans deserve better than this weak response.