US sanctions DPRK IT facilitators over crypto transactions in $800 million scheme
The US sanctioned six individuals and two entities for facilitating North Korean IT worker schemes generating nearly $800 million for WMD programs.Summary
The Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has sanctioned six individuals and two entities involved in facilitating North Korean IT worker schemes that allegedly generated nearly $800 million in 2024 for the regime's weapons of mass destruction programs. The targets are based in North Korea, Vietnam, Laos, and Spain, and they enabled fraudulent remote employment at U.S. companies, followed by money laundering through cryptocurrency. Specific individuals sanctioned include Nguyen Quang Viet, who converted millions into crypto for North Koreans, and Hoang Van Nguyen, who aided previously sanctioned facilitator Kim Se Un. OFAC also designated several crypto addresses linked to sanctioned entities like Amnokgang Technology Development Company and individuals operating in Laos. This action blocks all U.S.-based assets of those designated and comes amid record levels of North Korean cyber operations, which saw DPRK-linked hackers steal over $2.17 billion in the first half of 2025.
(Source：The Block)