The US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York has filed a civil forfeiture complaint regarding $61 million in digital assets. Prosecutors allege these funds are linked to illegal Iranian oil sales and were laundered through Binance accounts held by two China-based firms, Blessed Trust Limited and Hexa Whale Trading Limited.
According to the filing, this amount is part of a larger network that processed more than $1.5 billion in proceeds from sanctioned petroleum sales. These funds were allegedly used to finance terrorism and military operations, including entities connected to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Binance is not a defendant in this case. The exchange stated it does not support sanctioned transactions and has previously removed accounts linked to such activities. This action follows a March 2026 enforcement effort that targeted over $15.3 million in similar assets.
The government is using a civil forfeiture mechanism, which requires demonstrating that the assets are connected to illegal activity rather than securing a criminal conviction. The $61 million currently targeted represents approximately 4% of the total volume identified by investigators.
