The US Justice Department, under President Donald Trump, said it is disbanding Task Force KleptoCapture, a program created to enforce sanctions related to Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine and target oligarchs linked to the Kremlin.
On her first day in office, Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a memo saying that resources previously allocated to sanction enforcement and asset seizures would be redirected toward combating drug cartels and international gangs. The directive, which had not been previously reported, described the policy shift as a necessary realignment of priorities.
Task Force KleptoCapture, launched under the Biden administration, played a key role in prosecuting wealthy Russian elites and freezing assets linked to Moscow’s war efforts. The initiative was very instrumental in leading to indictments against Russian business figures, including Oleg Deripaska and Konstantin Malofeyev for alleged sanctions violations. The initiative also led to the seizure of yachts owned by sanctioned oligarchs Suleiman Kerimov and Viktor Vekselberg. In addition, it led the United States lawyer who handled the upkeep of Vekselberg’s properties to plead guilty. Prosecutors who were assigned to the task force will revert back to their former roles now that it has been dissolved. It will be in effect at least for 90 days, with possible extension or permanency.
Trump administration has signaled a change in foreign policy, with the president indicating an interest in improving relations with Moscow. He has promised to end war in Ukraine, without saying how.
The Justice Department has refocused attention on drug cartels in tandem with the general Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration and the trafficking of fentanyl. More details of those changes include updated policies regarding Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) enforcement, where now bribery investigations directly tied to the activities of cartel will take precedent, according to experts, as a dramatic change from the existing enforcement policy.
