HomeOFAC Sanctions Lawyer — Argentina & Latin America
Designated on the OFAC SDN List in Argentina or Latin America? Our specialist OFAC defence lawyers challenge US Treasury sanctions, obtain licences, and pursue delisting for individuals and businesses in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Bolivia. Confidential consultations in Spanish, English, and Russian.
OFAC Sanctions & Argentine Clients
US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctions can affect individuals and businesses operating throughout Argentina and the Southern Cone. If you or your company appears on the OFAC Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list, US dollar transactions are blocked, correspondent banking access is cut off, and US persons and entities are prohibited from dealing with you — regardless of your location within Argentina or Uruguay.
Argentina’s deep integration with the US financial system makes OFAC designations particularly disruptive. Major Argentine banks — including Banco Nación, Santander Argentina, and HSBC Argentina — maintain US correspondent banking relationships and comply with OFAC requirements. A designation effectively cuts off access to the international dollar clearing system, trade finance, and any business with counterparties operating in US dollars.
Where the designation has been mirrored by Argentine financial intelligence (UIF) or international bodies, we advise on coordinated multi-jurisdictional challenges. Our team works with local Argentine counsel in Buenos Aires to ensure seamless in-country representation alongside international proceedings.
OFAC Defence Services We Offer
- SDN List Delisting Petition: We prepare and file a comprehensive administrative reconsideration petition with OFAC, including legal brief, factual evidence, and political context analysis — in English and Spanish.
- OFAC Licence Applications: Specific or general licence applications to authorise otherwise-blocked transactions — covering banking access, asset management, trade finance, and family support payments.
- Argentine UIF & Regulatory Challenges: Where Argentine financial intelligence units or courts have acted on OFAC-based information, we coordinate local defence alongside the US administrative challenge.
- Secondary Sanctions Compliance: For Argentine businesses facing secondary sanctions exposure due to dealings with a designated counterparty, we provide rapid compliance reviews and risk mitigation strategies.
- Integrated Interpol + OFAC Defence: Many OFAC-designated individuals also face Interpol Red Notices. We provide integrated representation covering both US Treasury proceedings and Interpol CCF challenges simultaneously.
Track Record & Consultation
Intercollegium has represented clients designated by OFAC from Russia, the CIS, Turkey, and the Gulf region. We work across time zones and provide advice in English, Spanish, and Russian. Our OFAC delisting team has a strong track record in administratively complex cases involving politically motivated designations linked to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, oligarch-related listings, and secondary sanctions exposure affecting Argentine companies and individuals.
Call +357 96 447475 for a confidential free consultation, or submit your case online. We respond within 24 hours.
OFAC SDN Listing: Impact on Argentine Clients
Being designated on the OFAC Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) List creates immediate and severe consequences for individuals and companies operating in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Bolivia. US Treasury OFAC designations block access to the US financial system, freeze USD-denominated assets, and cut off international business relationships — even if the designated person has never operated in the United States.
Argentine clients face particular vulnerabilities because:
- Argentina’s economy is significantly dollarised — USD-denominated transactions, real estate deals, and savings accounts are directly affected by any OFAC designation
- Argentine banks comply with OFAC requirements to preserve their US correspondent relationships, effectively excluding designated persons from the banking system
- OFAC designations in Argentina often accompany parallel criminal proceedings in the US, creating extradition risk for clients who travel internationally
- Secondary sanctions exposure can affect business partners, family members, and associated companies not themselves designated but transacting with the designated person
The OFAC Delisting Process: What to Expect
Challenging an OFAC designation requires a structured legal strategy. Our lawyers guide Argentine clients through every stage:
- Administrative reconsideration — filing a petition with OFAC’s Office of Global Targeting presenting new information, factual errors, or changed circumstances that warrant removal from the SDN List
- Licence applications — applying for specific licences permitting limited transactions while the challenge proceeds, preserving access to banking and trade finance
- Judicial review — challenging OFAC designations in US federal court on procedural or substantive grounds where the administrative process fails
- Parallel multi-jurisdictional strategy — coordinating the OFAC challenge with any parallel Argentine, EU, or UN sanctions proceedings
The typical OFAC delisting process takes 6–18 months. We work with US co-counsel where required and have experience coordinating multi-jurisdictional sanctions challenges for clients across Argentina, Uruguay, and the broader Southern Cone. Free consultation in Spanish and English: +357 96 447475
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Argentine or Chilean nationals challenge OFAC designations if they have no direct connection to the United States?
Yes, foreign nationals can challenge OFAC designations regardless of U.S. ties. The administrative delisting process through OFAC’s Office of Foreign Assets Control is available to all designated persons. However, judicial review in U.S. federal courts requires establishing minimal constitutional standing, which non-U.S. persons can achieve by demonstrating blocked U.S.-nexus assets. Argentine and Chilean petitioners typically pursue administrative reconsideration first, submitting detailed evidentiary packages demonstrating changed circumstances or mistaken identity. The process generally takes 12–24 months, though complex cases involving national security considerations may extend significantly longer.
How do OFAC sanctions affect my ability to conduct business through Argentine banks or Chilean financial institutions?
While Argentine and Chilean banks are not directly subject to OFAC jurisdiction, most maintain correspondent banking relationships with U.S. financial institutions. These relationships create de facto compliance obligations, as processing dollar-denominated transactions or transfers touching the U.S. financial system triggers OFAC regulations. Major Latin American banks routinely screen customers against the SDN List and often apply U.S. sanctions standards voluntarily to preserve correspondent access. Designated individuals frequently find accounts frozen or closed even for purely domestic peso or Chilean peso transactions, as institutions implement risk-averse overcompliance policies.
What evidence is most effective when seeking removal from the SDN List for clients in Argentina or Chile?
Successful delisting petitions require documentary evidence directly rebutting OFAC’s stated designation basis. For narcotics-related designations common in the region, evidence demonstrating severance of alleged cartel ties, legitimate business restructuring, and third-party due diligence reports proves most persuasive. Financial audits, corporate reorganization documents, and attestations from local regulatory authorities carry significant weight. Chilean and Argentine petitioners should also submit certified translations of court judgments, prosecutorial dismissals, or regulatory clearances from CNV or CMF. OFAC evaluates whether the designated person continues to pose the threat that originally justified designation.
If I am designated under a country-based sanctions program rather than the SDN List, what are my options?
Country-based designations, such as those under the Venezuela-related or Cuba sanctions programs affecting regional business partners, operate differently than SDN listings. Sectoral sanctions may permit certain licensed activities, and OFAC issues specific licenses authorizing otherwise prohibited transactions. Argentine and Chilean companies caught in secondary sanctions exposure can apply for specific licenses demonstrating humanitarian purpose, wind-down necessity, or minimal sanctions nexus. General licenses published in program annexes may already authorize your particular transaction category. License applications typically receive responses within 90–120 days, though expedited processing exists for demonstrated urgency.
Can pending OFAC sanctions affect my immigration status or travel to countries outside the United States?
OFAC designation does not directly control immigration decisions in third countries, but practical consequences extend globally. European Union member states, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia frequently impose parallel designations or recognize U.S. listings in visa adjudications. Schengen zone applications increasingly scrutinize SDN-listed individuals. Argentine and Chilean passport holders may face enhanced screening, visa denials, or travel disruptions even to jurisdictions without formal sanctions alignment. Additionally, airlines and international carriers conducting U.S. overflights apply OFAC screening, potentially resulting in boarding denials for designated passengers on routes transiting U.S. airspace.
Our Practice Areas
Related Services
OFAC Sanctions Defence
Defend against US sanctions listings
Asset Recovery
Recover frozen or seized international assets
Financial Investigations
Cross-border financial crime & asset tracing
White-Collar Defence
International financial crime defence
Extradition Defence
Fight extradition requests internationally
Red Notice Removal
Remove your Interpol notice via the CCF
