DOJ Charges 11 With Violating Sanctions in Schemes to Help Russia's Military

The Justice Department charged 11 foreign nationals - five Russians, two Venezuelans, three Latvians, and a Ukrainian - for allegedly evading international sanctions to try and help Russia's war effort in Ukraine.

Key Quotes: The charges are for allegedly "participating in unlawful schemes to export powerful, civil-military, dual-use technologies to Russia," the Justice Department said in a press release, and the people charged allegedly "obtained military technology from U.S. companies, smuggled millions of barrels of oil, and laundered tens of millions of dollars for Russian industrialists, sanctioned entities, and the world’s largest energy conglomerate." A Kremlin spokesperson said that "the cynicism of this situation is that it is about taking hostages for further political gain."

For Context: Some of the equipment sent to Russia through the scheme has been found in Russian weapons seized in Ukraine, prosecutors said. The oil was allegedly smuggled from Venezuela through Beijing on behalf of an unnamed Russian oligarch. The U.S. has levied heavy sanctions against Russian companies and business leaders, significantly limiting the extent of any business relationships between the U.S. and Russia.

How the Media Covered It: Reports from sources across the political spectrum highlighted similar details about the alleged crimes.