Hello Thursday! It’s April 16, and we’re tracking today’s top stories: Economic Fury Targets Illicit Oil Smuggling Network Run by Iranian Regime Elite, Iran’s Shadow Fleet Meets Its Match in U.S. Blockade, young hacker behind historic breach speaks out for 1st time, Telegram Is Still Hosting a Sanctioned $21 Billion Crypto Scammer Black Market, and much more…

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🎯 FEATURED STORY

Economic Fury Targets Illicit Oil Smuggling Network Run by Iranian Regime Elite. The Shamkhani network evades sanctions through a group of seemingly legitimate administrative, consulting, and shipping firms that manage all aspects of the network’s fleet. U.S. Department of the Treasury

🔥 TOP STORIES

US will not renew waiver on Iranian oil as it mounts pressure on Tehran Bloomberg

Iran’s Shadow Fleet Meets Its Match in U.S. Blockade WSJ

'Addicted to hacking': Young hacker behind historic breach speaks out for 1st time, before reporting to prison ABC News

Telegram Is Still Hosting a Sanctioned $21 Billion Crypto Scammer Black Market WIRED

Imposition of Special Measure Prohibiting Certain Transmittals of Funds Involving CIBanco S.A., Institución De Banca Multiple Federal Register

China Evergrande founder pleads guilty to fraud in Shenzhen court Reuters

Justice Department moves to toss seditious conspiracy convictions of Oath Keepers and Proud Boys Associated Press

Russian LNG under US sanctions heads for the first time to India Reuters

Vance anti-fraud task force suspends 447 hospices in Los Angeles over more than $600M in suspected fraud Fox News

Counterfeiters cash in on the world's bestselling cancer drug ICIJ

How China's Weapons Transfers to Iran Have Evolved Over Decades NYT

He Championed the Trumps' Crypto Venture. Now He's Attacking It. WSJ

US launches latest strike on suspected drug boat, killing 4 in eastern Pacific Ocean New York Post

Trump admin's Operation Epic Fury takes aim at banks handling Iranian money Fox Business

FinCEN’s Rapid Response Program Interdicts Nearly $2 Billion on Behalf of U.S. Cyber-Enabled Fraud Victims FinCEN

🚩 RUSSIA & CHINA

Brazil blacklists BYD, some foreign brands may exit China South China Morning Post

Russia Launches Probe Into $13 Billion Fake Invoice Tax Scheme OCCRP

Russia delivers second post-sanctions LNG cargo from Portovaya to China Reuters

Russia Introduces Helium Export Controls Amid Global Shortage Moscow Times

Chinese National Servicemember Indicted for Conspiring and Attempting to Obstruct Investigation U.S. Department of Justice

U.S. suggests Cuba complicit in helping Russia fight Ukraine Axios

🚀 SANCTIONS & TERROR

U.S. eases bank sanctions amid Venezuela's economic woes Axios

Iran's central bank warns economy may take 12 years to rebuild after war Iran International

Iran nuclear program 'set back' but not wiped out AFP

US sanctions 2 casinos, 3 people over alleged links to Mexico's Northeast cartel Border Report

Abubakar Malami: Nigeria drops charges of financing terrorism against ex-justice minister BBC

Texas Congressman presents bill to designate CAIR a terror org., revoke NGO status, over Hamas ties Jerusalem Post

Neo-Nazi pleads guilty to trying to give Hezbollah intel on Israeli officials in US Times of Israel

North Korea's 'small but dangerous stockpile' of nuclear weapons revealed The Independent

💸 CORRUPTION & FINANCIAL CRIME

SantaCon Organizer Charged In Wire Fraud Scheme Targeting Attendees And Host Venues U.S. Department of Justice

Nepal's Anti-Corruption Crackdown: New Era or False Dawn? OCCRP

2 members of 'ComEd Four' ordered released on bail, will get new trials ABC

Stolen IDs sold for 'Happy Meal' prices fuel billions in US benefit fraud Fox News

Welcome to the Golden Age of Corruption in America Newsweek

South Korea jails 90-year-old woman for laundering son's drug money BBC

Ohio Casino Control Commission fines Kalshi prediction market Columbus Dispatch

Accountant Is Last to Be Sentenced for the DC Solar Billion Dollar Ponzi Scheme U.S. Department of Justice

Kalshi CEO expects US DOJ to prosecute insider trading cases Semafor

Hunger, bribery and ruin: Darfur after three years of Sudan's civil war Guardian

🔐 CRYPTO & CYBER

How an Iranian Cyberattack Hit US Local Governments The National Interest

FCC exempts Netgear from ban on foreign routers, doesn't explain why Ars Technica

Pakistan Lifts 8-Year Crypto Banking Ban Following Trump Family, Binance Deals Decrypt

Your life savings could be gone in one click: How a fake crypto app bypassed Apple's security CoinDesk

CoW Swap urges users to pause amid domain hijacking The Block

🚚 TRAFFICKING

Feds bust family-run drug business with cartel ties Los Angeles Times

Balkan Drug Cartel Cell Targeted in Massive International Crackdown OCCRP

Nigeria wildlife trafficking persists as protection law awaits presidential signing Reuters

Four North Texas massage parlors shut down amid human trafficking investigation Fox

$1.6 million, a forced con and two men on opposite sides of the world NBC News

Chinese national sentenced to a year in prison for smuggling ants out of Kenya BBC

"Others have seen what is and asked why. I have seen what could be and asked why not." —Pablo Picasso

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