Isse Mohamoud Yusuf (Yusuf) is an ISIS-Somalia weapons and logistics facilitator in Bari, Puntland, Somalia and is an arms smuggler as part of the Qandala-Hafun network. Yusuf runs a network of smuggling vessels, including several that he owns and uses to transport weapons, including AK-47s, PKMs, RPG-7s, and IED components, from Yemen for ISIS-Somalia. Yusuf coordinates shipments based directly on ISIS-Somalia requests involving both weapons and non-lethal supplies for the group. Yusuf additionally works with al-Hayashi and is a relative of ISIS-Somalia leader Mumin.
Additionally, Yusuf runs a network of black-market smugglers who, as of 2021, organized a shipment of weapons and ammunition for ISIS-Somalia. The shipment of weapons included PKMs, AK-47s, RPGs, DShKs, and ammunition, and was disguised as a shipment of regular weapons bought by black market dealers, such as Omar, to sell. Yusuf frequently smuggles equipment and cargo into Puntland to support ISIS-Somalia and al-Shabaab operations.
In early 2022, Yusuf facilitated the travel of ISIS militants on his dhow from the Middle East to Somalia to attend meetings on the restructuring of ISIS-Somalia’s leadership, tactics, and strategies. Also as of early 2022, Iranian businesses were contracting Houthi rebel-connected fishing agents and dhows to conduct deep-sea blast fishing off the coast of northern Somalia. These vessels belonged to a network that used fishing as a cover to work on Iranian weapons trafficking, transportation, and money laundering. Yusuf owned a dhow that was used for deep-sea fishing activities as part of this network. The purpose of deep-sea blast fishing was to get the maximum number of fish from the floor of the sea by blasting dynamite.
Yusuf is a former leader of the Puntland Piracy Network who officially renounced piracy in 2015. Yusuf’s pirate syndicate was responsible for two successful, high-profile hijackings of commercial vessels in 2012, and possibly two more in March 2017. Yusuf still maintains his militias in Caluula district, where the majority of his pirate operations occurred. Yusuf has purchased fuel in Qandala, Somalia, which he would take to Yemen and sell, then use the profits from his fuel sale to purchase weapons from AQAP and sell to pirates back in Qandala.
Yusuf is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, ISIS-Somalia.
On June 6, 2003, OFAC issued the Global Terrorism Sanctions Regulations, 31 CFR part 594 (68 FR 34196, June 6, 2003 (“the Regulations”), to implement Executive Order (E.O.) 13224 of September 23, 2001, “Blocking Property and Prohibiting Transactions With Persons Who Commit, Threaten To Commit, or Support Terrorism” (66 FR 49079, September 25, 2001). OFAC has amended the Regulations on several occasions.
On September 9, 2019, the President, invoking the authority of, inter alia, the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701–1706) (IEEPA) and the United Nations Participation Act (22 U.S.C. 287c) (UNPA), issued E.O. 13886, “Modernizing Sanctions To Combat Terrorism” (84 FR 48041, September 12, 2019), effective September 10, 2019. In E.O. 13886, the President, finding it necessary to consolidate and enhance sanctions to combat acts of terrorism and threats of terrorism by foreign terrorists, terminated the national emergency declared in E.O. 12947 of January 23, 1995, “Prohibiting Transactions With Terrorists Who Threaten To Disrupt the Middle East Peace Process” (60 FR 5079, January 25, 1995), and revoked E.O. 12947, as amended by E.O. 13099 of August 20, 1998, “Prohibiting Transactions With Terrorists Who Threaten To Disrupt the Middle East Peace Process” (63 FR 45167, August 25, 1998). In addition, the President amended E.O. 13224, in order to build upon initial steps taken in E.O. 12947, to further strengthen and consolidate sanctions to combat the continuing threat posed by international terrorism, and in order to take additional steps to deal with the national emergency declared in E.O. 13224, with respect to the continuing and immediate threat of grave acts of terrorism and threats of terrorism committed by foreign terrorists, which include acts of terrorism that threaten the Middle East peace process.
Section 1 of E.O. 13886 replaces in its entirety section 1 of E.O. 13224, which had been amended by a number of prior Executive orders (E.O. 13224, as amended by all such authorities, is referred to herein as “amended E.O. 13224”), but does not amend the Annex to E.O. 13224, which was previously amended by E.O. 13268 of July 2, 2002, “Termination of Emergency With Respect to the Taliban and Amendment of Executive Order 13224 of September 23, 2001” (67 FR 44751, July 3, 2002) (“amended Annex to E.O. 13224”).
