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Sanctions screening and asset freezes

Last verified: 2026-10-30 · Status: Stable

Obligated subjects must screen clients and beneficial owners against UN Security Council lists on terrorism, proliferation and related regimes. A match means freezing without delay and telling prosecutors and the UAF. Anyone in the country is barred from providing assets or services to listed persons.

Key facts

Lists with legal effect	UN Security Council lists textLey 155-17 art. 82, as of 2026-10-30 · in force
Lifting a freeze	Only on court notice textLey 155-17 art. 83, as of 2026-10-30 · in force

The rule

1. Obligated subjects monitor whether a client, beneficial owner or prospect is on UN lists under Resolutions 1267, 1988, 1718 and successors, the financial sanctions regimes and Resolution 1373 and successors, and others on terrorism and proliferation finance.Ley 155-17 contra el Lavado de Activos y el Financiamiento del Terrorismo, art. 82, 2017-06-01 official text · verified 2026-10-30

2. On a match they freeze the assets without delay and notify the Ministerio Público and the UAF without delay.Ley 155-17 contra el Lavado de Activos y el Financiamiento del Terrorismo, art. 83, 2017-06-01 official text · verified 2026-10-30

3. A freeze can only be lifted on court notice.Ley 155-17 contra el Lavado de Activos y el Financiamiento del Terrorismo, art. 83 paragraph I, 2017-06-01 official text · verified 2026-10-30

4. No person, physical or legal, in the country may offer or deliver assets, goods or services to someone on those lists.Ley 155-17 contra el Lavado de Activos y el Financiamiento del Terrorismo, art. 83 paragraph II, 2017-06-01 official text · verified 2026-10-30

5. Breach of the freeze regime by an obligated subject is a very serious infraction.Ley 155-17 contra el Lavado de Activos y el Financiamiento del Terrorismo, art. 87, 2017-06-01 official text · verified 2026-10-30

6. Terrorism finance carries 20 to 40 years in prison.Ley 155-17 contra el Lavado de Activos y el Financiamiento del Terrorismo, art. 5, 2017-06-01 official text · verified 2026-10-30

7. A separate decree regulates preventive freezing.Decreto 407-17, Regulation (scan), 2017 official text · verified 2026-10-30

Step by step

Screen at onboarding and on each list update.
Include beneficial owners.
Escalate a match to the compliance officer at once.
Freeze, then notify the Ministerio Público and the UAF.
Do not tip off the client.

Common traps

The law names UN lists. US or EU rules can still bind a group or its banks, so screen those by policy too.
The ban on dealing covers all persons, not only obligated subjects.
Decreto 407-17 was read only as a scanned title here; read its full text before designing procedures.

Sources

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