NICARAGUA · US SANCTIONS, GOLD
Key Facts
- The country Nicaragua is a Central American country led by co-presidents Daniel Ortega and his wife Rosario Murillo.
- What happened The US Treasury sanctioned seven companies and seven people on Thursday 16 April 2026.
- Who is named Two sons of the co-presidents and a vice minister of energy and mines are on the list.
- The gold Nicaragua exported US$898.7 million of gold in early 2026, up from US$356.5 million.
- The rule US persons must freeze their property, and firms they own 50% or more are covered.
Nicaragua gold sanctions imposed by the United States on Thursday 16 April 2026 name seven companies and seven people. Two of them are sons of the country’s co-presidents.
Under the Nicaragua gold sanctions, Americans may not deal with the 14 targets or the firms they mostly own. OFAC lists no newer US action on Nicaragua as of Monday 2 November 2026.
What the Nicaragua Gold Sanctions Do
The US Treasury announced the Nicaragua gold sanctions through OFAC under Executive Order 13851, a presidential order that declares a national emergency over Nicaragua. That order was amended by Executive Order 14088, and the FBI’s Miami office and US border targeting staff helped, the release says.
Treasury says the government of Ortega and Murillo uses the gold sector to raise money and keep political control. It also points to the forced takeover of a plant owned by BHMB Mining Nicaragua, a company with US investment.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in the release: “The United States will not allow the illicit confiscation of American-owned assets.” The release adds that Washington will keep going after the revenue streams that support the government.
Who Is on the Nicaragua Gold Sanctions List
Exportadora de Metales (EMSA) is a gold seller that, Treasury says, ships gold in bulk to the United States. Grupo Minero Xiloa buys gold from small-scale miners and exports it.
The other five companies are Thomas Metal, Brother Metal, Zhong Fu Development, Santa Rita Mining Company and Nicaragua Xinxin Linze Mineria Group. Treasury says Xinxin shipped more than US$25 million of gold to the United States in early to mid-2025.
Maurice Facundo Ortega Murillo, the Presidential Delegate for Sports, and Daniel Edmundo Ortega Murillo, who heads a communication council, are sons of the co-presidents. The vice minister of energy and mines, Santiago Hernan Bermudez Tapia, is also named.
Feiwu Bian and Anibal Vladimir Matus Buitrago run Zhong Fu, and Nelson Francisco Sobalvarro represents COMINTSA, a mining firm sanctioned in 2024. The seventh person is a lawyer, Lester Matus Tamariz, whose services Treasury says sped up gold concessions.
What US Companies and Banks Must Do
Under the Nicaragua gold sanctions, any US citizen, company or bank must freeze the property of the 14 targets and report it to OFAC. Companies owned 50% or more by listed parties are blocked too, even when their names are not on the list.
Dealing with blocked parties is banned unless OFAC grants a licence. Civil penalties apply on a strict-liability basis, so even an honest mistake can be punished, and criminal penalties are possible.
Non-US banks that knowingly help significant deals for the targets risk losing access to US correspondent accounts, the links they use to clear US dollars. A tip about violations can go to the whistleblower programme of FinCEN, the Treasury’s financial-crimes unit, which can pay awards when penalties top US$1 million.
OFAC also issued General License 5 on 16 April, a permit to wind down dealings with EMSA until Saturday 16 May 2026. That window has closed, and the licence text appeared in the Federal Register, the government’s official journal, on Friday 11 September 2026.
Why Gold Matters So Much to Nicaragua
Nicaragua’s central bank says goods exports reached US$2,562.9 million in the first quarter of 2026, up 38.0% from a year earlier. Mining exports rose 155.5%, and gold alone brought in US$898.7 million against US$356.5 million in the first quarter of 2025.
The Nicaragua gold sanctions target a sector that earned US$1,971.0 million in 2025, about a quarter of the US$7,981.3 million of goods sold abroad. The bank’s report does not split gold sales by buyer country, so the US share cannot be read from it.
In its October 2026 outlook the bank says goods exports grew 32.1% in the year to June, led by mining and manufacturing. It also puts reserves at US$10.08 billion at the end of September, which it links to net purchases of foreign currency.
What It Means for You
A US jeweller, refiner or bank that buys or finances Central American gold should check who owns the seller. A 50% stake by a listed party is enough to block it, and the burden of checking falls on the US buyer.
Nicaraguan goods also face a separate US duty, which we explain in our guide to the 12.5% US tariff. Our report on record exports shows how large gold has become.
For the wider picture, read our guides on Nicaragua and its geopolitics. US visitors can also read our companion travel and sanctions guide.
What Is Not Known
The central bank does not say how much Nicaraguan gold goes to the United States. It also does not say how much of that gold came from the seven sanctioned companies.
For the Nicaragua gold sanctions, Treasury’s summary line speaks of five individuals while its list names seven, so OFAC’s official search tool settles the count. Treasury says BHMB reportedly received no compensation, and no public account from the company or from any target is available.
More: Latin America news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Nicaragua gold sanctions?
On 16 April 2026 the US Treasury sanctioned seven Nicaraguan companies and seven people tied to gold and a seized US-linked plant. Their US property is frozen and Americans cannot deal with them.
Can US companies still buy gold from Nicaragua?
Gold from sellers that are not blocked is not banned by this action. A buyer must still check that no listed party owns 50% or more of the seller.
Who are the best-known people on the list?
Two sons of the co-presidents, Maurice Facundo and Daniel Edmundo Ortega Murillo, are named with a vice minister of energy and mines. Four business figures and a lawyer linked to the BHMB plant seizure and gold concessions complete the seven.
Has the US added more Nicaragua sanctions since April?
OFAC’s Nicaragua page lists no newer action as of 2 November 2026. The wind-down licence for EMSA expired on 16 May 2026.
Sources: US Treasury, press release: Treasury Sanctions Nicaraguan Officials, Gold Firms, and Individuals Tied to Seizure of U.S.-Owned Property, 16 April 2026; OFAC, Recent Actions: Nicaragua-related Designations; Issuance of Nicaragua-related General License, 16 April 2026; OFAC, Nicaragua-Related Sanctions program page and recent actions, 2 November 2026; Federal Register, Publication of Nicaragua Sanctions Regulations Web General License 5, 11 September 2026; Central Bank of Nicaragua, Balance of Payments Report, First Quarter 2026, July 2026; Central Bank of Nicaragua, Macroeconomic Outlook note, October 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief