The U.S. Treasury Department announced on Thursday that it has imposed sanctions on Houthi military leader Saleh Mufser Al-Shaer, citing what it described as "illicit methods" he employed. The sanctions came just over a week after the United Nations Security Council blacklisted three Houthi leaders.
The Treasury stated that Al-Shaer oversaw the Houthi appropriation of assets in Yemen valued at over $100 million, employing a variety of illegal tactics including extortion. The department characterized Al-Shaer as a close ally of Houthi leader Abdul-Malik Al-Houthi.
The sanctions will result in the freezing of all Al-Shaer's assets and interests in the United States or held by U.S. persons, which must be reported to the Office of Foreign Assets Control at the Treasury Department. Earlier this week, the State Department noted that U.S. Special Envoy to Yemen Tim Lenderking visited Saudi Arabia and Bahrain to coordinate on regional security and Iran-related concerns, as well as to discuss UN-led peace efforts in Yemen.
