MAJOR PLAYERS IN IRANIAN SHADOW BANKING NETWORK DISGUISED THEMSELVES WITH SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS & DOMINICA CBI PASSPORTS

Today's U.S. Treasury press release announcing sanctions,"Economic Fury Targets Iranian Shadow Banking Networks Moving Billions in Foreign Currency," https://lnkd.in/e9dr-qVV notes that the principals at two of the sanctioned Iranian foreign currency exchanges use SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS and DOMINICA CBI passports to obscure and conceal their ties to Iran.

How did they get those passports, since both reside in Iran, and have assets and businesses there, which is an absolute disqualifying factor for CBI application. The answer is that the leaders of those two Caribbean CBI states, ROOSEVELT SKERRIT and TERRANCE DREW, run totally bogus due diligence programs at their respective CIUs( government agencies). If this is not sufficient grounds for compliance officers demanding enhanced due diligence, upon encountering CBI passports at Account Opening, I don't know how much more evidence you need to beware CBI and CIP passports originating in the Eastern Caribbean; indeed, Caveat Compliance Officer.

CORRUPTION ON A GRAND SCALE MARS ANTIGUA'S NATIONAL ELECTION

Unless you monitor Caribbean politics, you probably missed the National Election that took place yesterday (30/4/2026) in ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA; as expected in a jurisdiction known to be infected with systemic voting fraud and widespread voter receipt of illegal cash payments on voting day. The Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party remained in power, carrying 15 of 17 seats in Parliament. This occurred notwithstanding the ongoing ALFA NERO scandal, where it has been alleged in pending litigation in the United States that Antigua Prime Minister GASTON BROWNE received a USD$6million kickback for selling a luxury yacht illegally seized by his government at a seriously reduced price, under suspicious circumstances. Whether we will see the imposition of additional sanctions by the United States, who has already restricted the ability of Antiguans to obtain visas to visit America, as the direct result of this election is too soon to predict, but it remains a concern. The affiliation of the Browne administration with Cuba and China has not gone unnoticed in the current, polarized Caribbean political climate, and anything can happen. While Browne will most likely never be charged with criminal conduct in Antigua, where his party controls a corrupt judiciary, there are pending and threatened judicial proceedings in the United States, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Russia, any one of which could result in a criminal indictment; such an event could precipitate his removal from office, especially if he is taken into custody and transported to the jurisdiction where the trial will be conducted. We will continue to monitor developments regarding Antigua as they unfold, especially the new Discovery action in the American Alfa Nero proceedings.

ANTIGUA'S PRIME MINISTER MAKES A MAJOR LEGAL ERROR WHEN HE SUES AN AMERICAN LAWYER FOR DEFAMATION; IT'S CALLED 28 U.S.C. §1782

(*32 page Memorandum filed yesterday)

GASTON BROWNE, the arrogant Prime Minister of ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA, who has found himself in the cross-hairs of international accusations of corruption, after an American lawyer, representing the claimants in the ALFA NERO luxury yacht scandal, alleged that Browns personally received a six million dollar kickback, in connection with a suspicious government sale of the vessel at a price substantially under its market value.
 Browne recently filed a Defamation action in Antiguas against the attorney and his law firm, which most legal observers have indicated was a major tactical error, if not professional negligence (also known as legal malpractice), on the part of his personal lawyer (believed to be ANTHONY ASTAPHAN). You see, under American law, any American citizens and residents sued abroad can file a §1782 action in a US court, seeking Discovery, to aid their defense in that foreign case. The Alfa Nero had previously been named in Antigua litigation, and the vessel's owner had filed a §1782 action in the US, which the Court ultimately dismissed, as the Antigua case had already gone to trial, and any information which might be revealed was too late to affect the Antigua court's decision, in the American court's reasoning. 
 Browne claimed that decision was a major victory for him, but by now filing a new action in Antigua, against the owner's attorney, he has opened the door to a new §1782 filing; which the lawyer has already taken steps to bring. Now you understand how foolish the new Defamation suit was, especially since in Antigua, Truth is an absolute defense to such an action, and the evidence against Browne, regarding the multi-million dollar kickback, is damning.
 To make matters worse, Caribbean media is asserting that Browne's Defamation action has also opened the courthouse door to possibly implicate his immediate family in the asserted misconduct, including a son who lives in the United States, and who is alleged to be the recipient of illicit assets of his father. This adds a new dimension to any potential criminal exposure, under US law, for money laundering, fraud and corruption in the Alfa Nero case. We will be closely following the American Federal proceedings, and will report regularly on all developments there as they occur; meanwhile, we watch today's Snap National Election in Antigua & Barbuda, which may have been called by Browne solely to protect himself from criminal prosecution in the United States. Stay tuned.
__________________________________________________

* A portion of the Supplemental Memorandum of law appears below.

HARDENING OFFICIAL AMERICAN ATTITUDES TOWARDS THE REGIME IN CUBA WILL IMPACT ITS ALLIES AND FRIENDS IN THE CARIBBEAN

If you noticed a distinct increase in the extremely critical attitude displayed towards Cuba recently, by American Secretary of State Marco Rubio in his latest interview, you were not alone. Rubio, a Cuban American whose family had returned to Cuba, and was then forced to flee it when Fidel Castro came into power, has now taken a more defiant posture, regarding the need for regime change there, stating that economic reform cannot occur with the present autocratic government, and reminding us that Cuba has "rolled out the welcome mat to adversaries of the United States to operate within Cuban territory against our national interests with impunity. We are not going to have a foreign military or intelligence or security apparatus operating with impunity 90 miles off the shores of the United States. That’s not going to happen under President Trump.” We must take this as an indication that, following the resolution of the war against Iran, we can expect the United States to return to its previous focus on the Caribbean, meaning both Cuba and the ever increasing influence of the Peoples' Republic of China. This is not good news for the left-leaning states of the Eastern Caribbean, several of whom continue to have close ties to both autocratic states, to the displeasure of the current American administration. This is unwise, and it is expected that the few restrictions America has chosen of late to impose upon certain of the Caribbean states are bound to increase, adding to not only the displeasure of its citizens, but to the economic stability of those republics. The American visa restrictions imposed upon Antigua and Dominica could be only the initial salvo from America's tool kit, as it seeks to rein in its neighbors, due to a perception that their relations with Cuba and China have become a National Security threat. The next Caribbean actions of Secretary Marco Rubio, a known declared adversary of both countries, deserve our close attention.

THE LOVE AFFAIR BETWEEN CUBA-EDUCATED CARIBBEAN LEADERS AND THE PEARL OF THE ANTILLES WILL CAUSE MAJOR PROBLEMS, WHEN YOU CONSIDER AMERICA'S FUTURE POLITICAL LEADERSHIP IN 2028

It is a fact that many of the senior leaders of the Eastern Caribbean states received their university, or even medical school, education, in the Republic of Cuba, and as a result, many continue to have a close political, emotional and social association with that island nation, notwithstanding its autocratic political structure. This pro-Cuba orientation, which has bedeviled American foreign policy since 1960, may soon be responsible for economic and foreign policy actions from America that will negatively impact already dysfunctional tourism-centric Caribbean economies. While we can never accurately predict which way the pendulum will swing in American politics, experts have recently touted the rise of the status of American Secretary of State MARCO RUBIO, a Cuban-American, as the possible Presidential candidate in 2028. While born in the United States, Rubio's immediate family left Cuba, and retuned to the United States, after the Cuban Revolution of 1959, and his antipathy towards the Cuban regime is not a secret. Caribbean leaders who openly espouse their affiliation with the Cuban government, accept Cuban doctors and medical assistance under conditions that the U.S. say constitute human trafficking and human rights violations, and continue to send students to Cuba, will be in for a surprise, should Rubio be elected. He could impose Draconian measures on any Caribbean nation foolish enough to continue to maintain ties with Cuba, including but not limited to blocking trade and travel of Americans, as is our long history of sanctions. Whether such extreme measures will sink Caribbean economies we cannot say, but why risk it ? The Eastern Caribbean states who currently are in love with Cuba, ST. KITTS AND NEVIS, ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA, DOMINICA, ST. LUCIA AND GRENADA, might want to start reorienting their foreign policy, lest they find their countries treated as pariahs, and their local economies crashing.

GASTON BROWNE GAVE FAMILY OF PURCHASER OF ALFA NERO FREE CIP PASSPORTS TO SEAL THE CORRUPT DEAL

If you have been following our unfolding tale of corruption, in Antigua's ALFA NERO scandal, you know that the country's Prime Minister GASTON BROWNE negotiated a six million dollar (USD $6m) kickback, allegedly from the Turkish billionaire who bought the luxury yacht, after Browne's Labour government illegally took possession of the vessel, at a major discount from its market value.

https://rijock.blogspot.com/2026/04/witness-in-american-court-filing-admits.html

To sweeten the deal, Browne added in free Citizenship by Investment (CIP) passports for the purchaser, and his entire immediate family; that sordid aspect of what was an obscenely underpriced transaction was revealed recently in a Memorandum filed by attorneys for the Russian owner of the luxury yacht. The allegations appear abovefrom the court filing.

Given that the sole purpose of the CIP program is to financially benefit the people of Antigua, should not PM Browne be called to account for his freehanded giveaway of hundreds of thousands of dollars of value, just so he could personally rake in six million dollars in cash? Perhaps the voters of that two island nation might want to take this brazen act of greed and avarice into their voting preference this week.  

WITNESS IN AMERICAN COURT FILING ADMITS ANTIGUA PRIME MINISTER GASTON BROWNE TOOK A $6million KICKBACK IN ALPHA NERO YACHT SALE SCANDAL

The latest filing, in the Miami Federal Court case captioned IN RE: GASTON BROWNE CORRUPTION DISCOVERY APPLICATION, (Case No. 25-CV-21129-MOORE/Elfenbein), included a sworn Declaration, that a former government official negotiated a six million US Dollar kickback for PM BROWNE, for reducing the sales price of the illegally seized yacht ALFA NERO.

According to the sworn witness statement, the money was laundered through Browne's personal lawyer's account, disguised as "consulting fees." We know the identity of that corrupt lawyer, who faces certain indictment in Antigua, by the next government installed there.

This extremely damaging disclosure should disqualify Browne, and the Antigua & Barbuda Labour Party, from receiving the votes of Antiguans in the next national election, now scheduled for Thursday, 30 April, 2026.

DISGRACED FORMER PRIME MINISTER JOSEPH MUSCAT'S STRANGE MEETING WITH CORRUPT GENERAL SADDAM HAFTAR MEANS LIBYAN MONEY LAUNDERING THROUGH MALTA IS ALIVE AND WELL

In what must be regarded as a highly unusual event in the Republic of Malta, SADDAM HAFTAR, the Deputy Commander of the army of the separatist military dictatorship in Benghazi, met there with the cashiered former Prime Minister, JOSEPH MUSCAT, as well as with a number of active duty government officials, including the Foreign Minister and Minister of the Interior. Muscat, once named as the most corrupt government official in the European Union, is believed to be about to be named as a conspirator, in the upcoming trial regarding the assassination of investigative reporter Daphne Caruana Galizia.

Given the allegations that attorneys and financial services professionals closely associated with Muscat were involved in major money money laundering operations for KHALIFA HAFTAR, the Commanding General of the Benghazi faction, we question the permission given for Saddam to travel to Malta for any purpose. Muscat, as a private citizen , has no authority to act for Malta, but it appears that he was acting as an intermediary in this case. Haftar's regime is not formally recognized by the United States.

UNITED STATES OFFERS A FOUR MILLION DOLAR REWARD FOR CONVICTED SAINT KITTS CBI PASSPORT-WIELDING CHINESE FRAUDSTER DAREN LI

Remember DAREN LI a/k/a LI DAREN, the Chinese career criminal ( Cryptocurrency scams) who fled the United States before sentencing, with his trusty SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS CITIZENSHIP BY INVESTMENT (CBI) PASSPORT, and then received a twenty (20) year prison sentence from a United States District Judge? Today, the US Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs announced a reward of $4,000,000, for information leading to the arrest of this fugitive money launderer, who took $73.6 million from his victims.

The reward was offered pursuant to the Department's TRANSNATIONAL ORGANIZED CRIME REWARDS PROGRAM, and was authorized by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Li, as a U.S. Secret Service Most Wanted Fugitive from Justice https://lnkd.in/eq3uJDU3 , is illustrative of the National Security Threat that CBI passport holders from the Eastern Caribbean, notorious for the region's intentional failure to weed out criminal applicants, pose to the United States.

REPORT TO U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL CONTAINED DETAILS OF CORRUPT ACTIVITIES OF ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA LABOUR PARTY

One final note, regarding the content of the whistleblower's letter to the Attorney General of the United States; it contained specific allegations of corruption it claims have been committed by senior officials, and its associates, of the ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA LABOUR PARTY. We attach them here to complete the picture the Caribbean Anticorruption Association painted in its report:

ANTIGUA AND DOMINICA FACE ADDITIONAL AMERICAN SANCTIONS IF THEY FAIL TO TAKE THEIR CITIZENSHIP BY INVESTMENT PROGRAMS ABROAD AND REFORM THEM

Antigua and Barbuda, and the Commonwealth of Dominica, are in the doghouse, in the eyes of the United States Government, and their CBI and CIP passport sales programs are entirely to blame. Don't GASTON BROWNE or ROOSEVELT SKERRIT try to fool you; the obscene number of sales of passports to high-risk individuals, white collar criminals, and people from countries labeled State Sponsors of Terrorism is the principal reason.

There is a good chance that, if true reform of CBIA does not occur, that American sanctions with actually increase in the short term. One only need look at the American foreign policy program being administered by its Cuban-American Secretary of State MARCO RUBIO to know that further American action against the two Caribbean states, for conduct America deems uncooperative and even hostile, if reform does not ensue, is expected. The only solution, in our humble opinion, is to move the entire administration and operation of the two countries' CBI programs abroad, to a jurisdiction (US or UK) where the corruption can be subject to such oversight that it will disappear. The due diligence and the approval processes, conducted by reputable third parties, will eliminate bribes, kickbacks and dirty dealing that characterize CBI in the Eastern Caribbean today. Will we see real change, or will we see America next interfere with the future arrival of its affluent tourists in the Caribbean, and block scheduled travel of its airliners, or the termination of all correspondent banking with indigenous financial institutions? Antigua & Dominica, reform or look forward to hard times.

A WARNING REGARDING THE USE OF AI BY COMPLIANCE OFFICERS CONDUCTING ENHANCED DUE DILIGENCE FOR ONBOARDING

We have written a number of articles, covering the hard position that the American judiciary has taken, in disciplining attorneys who filed briefs that contain bogus or fabricated citations to legal authorities, meaning case law, and secondary legal references. Lawyers have drawn as much as $10,000 fines for their carelessness, irrespective of the reason they allow AI research to creep into their court filings.

Compliance officers, as we have seen, have been supplementing their due diligence and enhanced due diligence queries with AI searches, and using the results tom decide on whether to approve (onboard) new bank clients, and some are not taking the additional, and necessary, step of actually verifying what the AI program has told them about their new customer.

Here's why this is risky, from a professional ( malpractice/negligence) viewpoint. Unlike lawyers, whose legal citation are often reviewed for accuracy by opposing counsel, and the presiding judge, A-vetted compliance decisions simply go into a file, and generally are never seen by anyone else. They do, however, surface when the customer is later found to be laundering money through his accounts, or is indicted, and a subpoena finds its way into the bank. of course it is far too late at that point to fix the error. If you don't check your AI-generated results in compliance, they may come back to haunt you.

One final and important point as to why you should be concerned; some open AI is continually learning from the data fed into it, and if a prior user input, or generated, bogus data on your target, you may very well receive that false information in your subsequent query. Are you sure you are using a Closed AI program? And what about security flaws possibly present in Open AI? you may have unwittingly further increased your chance of picking up erroneous results.

Bottom line, check everything that AI gives you back, Mr. or Ms. compliance officer.

WE GO INSIDE ANTIGUA'S MASSIVE ALFA NERO/WEST INDIES OIL COMPANY SCANDAL IN DETAIL; WHERE DID ALL THE MISSING MILLIONS GO?

Due to the massive international reader interest in the ALFA NERO scandal, its relationship to the WEST INDIES OIL COMPANY, and the alleged criminal participation of a rogues gallery of senior Antiguan government officials, and their immediate family members, we have deemed that portion of the letter to the United States Attorney  General so important for the people of Antigua that it deserves to be reprinted here in full, in advance of the upcoming national election.

 Only if the voters are fully informed, regarding the full extent of the systemic corruption, and the fact that many millions are missing, and believed to have ended up in the personal pockets of Prime Minister GASTON BROWNE, and his family, can educated voters make an informed choice st election time. The truth about the funneling of millions int0 the hands of senior members of the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party we believe completely disqualifies it for reelection. Read it, and decide for yourself. We have taken the relevant portions verbatim from the document; they appear below:

AMERICAN NGO IN WASHINGTON ASKS U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL TO OPEN A CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION INTO SYSTEMIC CORRUPTION, FRAUD AND MONEY LAUNDERING OF ANTIGUA'S LEADERS, FOCUSING ON CIP

The CARIBBEAN ANTICORRUPTION ASSOCIATION, a U.S-based NGO, has sent a twelve page white paper to TODD BLANCHE, the American Attorney General, detailing what it calls systemic corruption, fraud and money laundering, on the part of the elected leaders of ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA, and their allies in the Labour Party, and in the private sector, demanding an immediate investigation into Federal crimes that the targets have committed against the United States, especially regarding the country's CITIZENSHIP BY INVESTMENT (CIP) Passport sales program, as well as several other financial scandals.

Compliance officers at financial institutions with international clients should note well the attached list of targets implicated by the NGO for criminal activity, and immediately determine whether any are currently, or have been in the past, bank customers, counterparties, or recipients of wire transfers, and take the appropriate action, if any are found. American banks, who are charged with operating a RISK-BASED AML COMPLIANCE PROGRAM, should note that the white paper has concluded that the individuals named constitute a NATIONAL SECURITY RISK and are HOSTILE TO THE UNITED STATES, which preclude any financial transactions.

Any reader who wishes to review the complete text of the letter ,please email me at miamicompliance@gmail.com