“We are coming for your ill-begotten gains,” Biden said at the State of the Union address on Tuesday.
Washington DC: Attorney General Merrick Garland announced a new task force Wednesday charged with going after the crimes of Russian oligarchs.
The Task Force named “KleptoCapture” will be an interagency law enforcement group aimed at holding sanctioned Russian elites accountable, as Russia continues its aggressive invasion of Ukraine. The sanctions, imposed in cooperation with allies, aim to isolate Russia from global markets and punish Russian officials and elites in some way connected to the “unjustified act of war,” as the Justice Department put it. The U.S. and European allies have been ratcheting up sanctions against Russian elites and even Russian President Vladimir Putin himself.
“The Justice Department will use all of its authorities to seize the assets of individuals and entities who violate these sanctions,” Garland said in a statement. “We will leave no stone unturned in our efforts to investigate, arrest, and prosecute those whose criminal acts enable the Russian government to continue this unjust war. Let me be clear: if you violate our laws, we will hold you accountable.”
Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said those “bolstering” the Russian regime will be deprived of a “safe haven.”
