The US has blacklisted a Libyan national, two associates and a ship for allegedly smuggling fuel and drugs into and out of the war-torn north African country, further destabilising it.
The US Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (Ofac) said Faysal al-Wadi smuggled fuel from and illicit drugs through Libya to Malta.
He is accused of using the 508-dwt cargo ship Maraya (built 1976) and the Hurd's Bank anchorage in international waters offshore Malta.
"Faysal al-Wadi and his associates have smuggled fuel from Libya and used Libya as a transit zone to smuggle illicit drugs," Treasury deputy secretary Justin Muzinich said.
"The US is committed to exposing illicit networks exploiting Libya’s resources for their own profit while hurting the Libyan people," he added.
Al-Wadi and the ship were sanctioned, as was Cyprus and Malta-based registered owner Alwefaq. Al-Wadi associates Musbah Mohamad Wadi and Nourddin Milood Musbah were also sanctioned.
Alwefaq is connected to both Wadi and Musbah, the US said. Wadi is accused of smuggling oil out of Libya.
The ship was used to smuggle goods from the Libyan port of Zuwarah, west of Tripoli.
According to Equasis, the ship falsely flies the Samoan flag. It was acquired by Alwefaq in December 2017.
Sanctioned individuals, companies and ships are blocked from the US financial system.
Since 2014, Libya has been mired in a civil war between the UN-backed, Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) and the Libyan National Army led by General Khalifa Haftar and headquartered in the western city of Tobruk.
Deadly conflict
The conflict, which has seen Turkey side with the GNA, and Russia, Syria and the United Arab Emirates back Haftar's forces, has killed thousands and cut off oil exports from the country for most of this year.
The war has forced port closures and Libya's National Oil Corp to turn away tankers, while others have been seized.
Hurd's Bank, about 28 km east of the Maltese capital of Valletta and outside its territorial waters, is said to be a major trading point for illicit cargoes from all over the world, including those from Libya.
Reportedly, battle lines are being drawn around the city of Sirte, about 368 km from Tripoli and 707 km from Tobruk.
On Wednesday, US officials said they opposed foreign military intervention in the conflict, with many of the participating countries allegedly there to exert influence and control over Libya's oil reserves.
