Abdullah Mesfer Saleh AL-SHAER

Yemen

1980-01-01

Yemen

Male

Yemen

Military

Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is designating senior Houthi military officer Saleh Mesfer Alshaer, commander of the Houthi-controlled military logistics support organization, whom Houthi-controlled courts have designated as the “judicial custodian” of assets confiscated from opponents of the Houthis. Alshaer has overseen the Houthis’ seizure of property in Yemen valued at greater than 100 million dollars, using a variety of unlawful tactics, including extortion. This campaign of extortion, which was used to fund the Houthi military effort, is yet another example of Houthi actions fueling instability and increasing the already extraordinary suffering of the Yemeni people. Like the continuing Houthi offensive against Marib, where millions of Yemenis displaced by years of war have fled for refuge, these actions contribute to the severity of the humanitarian situation in Yemen. Today’s action is being taken pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13611, which blocks property of persons threatening the peace, security, or stability of Yemen. The United States is taking this action in support of Alshaer’s designation by the United Nations Security Council’s Yemen Sanctions Committee. Major General Saleh Mesfer Alshaer, a close ally of Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi, serves as both the commander of the Houthi-controlled military logistics support organization, where he assisted the Houthis in acquiring smuggled weapons, as well as the officer responsible for managing all assets and funds confiscated by the Houthis. Alshaer has confiscated assets from Yemeni citizens by extorting and detaining those who do not comply. Alshaer has unlawfully forced banks, companies, and money exchange businesses to perform actions such as withdrawals and identification of customer assets. Those who have defied Alshaer have been detained and held indefinitely by the Houthi-controlled “National Security Bureau” and have been falsely labeled as spies. During the first seven months of 2019, Alshaer oversaw the seizure of dozens of companies affiliated with anti-Houthi figures residing abroad, with assets valued at more than 100 million dollars. Alshaer oversaw the diversion and confiscation of funds from 35 Yemeni parliamentarians who were not aligned with the Houthis, which was ordered by the Houthi-controlled Specialized Criminal Court on September 14, 2019. These confiscated funds included revenues from projects funded by international organizations inside Yemen. Alshaer’s cronies have also intervened in multiple hospitals in the capital, Sana’a, replacing directors and staff, and appropriating more than half of those revenues. This pattern of coercion and extortion is intended to benefit only one group — the Houthis — and it demonstrates that they are engaged in the same types of activities they blame on their opponents. Saleh Mesfer Alshaer is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13611 for having engaged in acts that directly or indirectly threaten the peace, security, or stability of Yemen, such as acts that obstruct the implementation of the agreement of November 23, 2011, between the Government of Yemen and those in opposition to it, which provides for a peaceful transition of power in Yemen, or that obstruct the political process in Yemen. The United States is taking this action in support of Alshaer’s designation by the UN Security Council’s Yemen Sanctions Committee on November 9, 2021.

US

https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy0495

2025-09-11

US

Global Terrorism Sanctions Regulations, 31 C.F.R. part 594

OFAC-horizontal

Terrorism

Blocking Property

• https://ofac.treasury.gov/faqs/topic/2396

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”).

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