B.C. company faces U.S. sanctions over alleged ties to terrorist group Hezbollah

A B.C.-based company is facing sanctions from the U.S. government over its alleged fundraising for the Iran-backed terrorist group. The Treasury Department is seen near sunset in Washington, Jan. 18, 2023. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick, File)

A British Columbia company has been sanctioned by the United States over its alleged ties to fundraising for the Iran-backed terrorist group Hezbollah.

Seven Seas for International Trading and Logistics is among a network of 16 companies and individuals designated for sanctions by the U.S. Treasury Department, which says they are led by a Hezbollah financier named Alaa Hassan Hamieh.

The U.S. government says the network overseen by Hamieh, his family members and close associates has raised more than $100 million for Hezbollah and is a “critical source” of its funding.

The founder of Seven Seas is identified by the department as Qatar-based Raoof Fadel, who it says is involved in numerous projects with Hamieh and the Hezbollah finance team.

It says Hamieh owns multiple Hezbollah-associated companies, several of which are used for procurement or money laundering, and he has been hiding his ownership by recruiting relatives and associates to hold positions in the firms.

The sanctions mean Seven Seas for International Trading and Logistics is blocked from operating in the U.S., and transactions with the firm are also barred for American firms or individuals or those operating in the U.S.

Seven Seas for International Trading and Logistics hasn’t responded to a request for comment.

B.C.’s Ministry of Finance said the province was not alerted to the situation before the U.S. announcement, and officials are reaching out to federal counterparts in light of this development.

“Any next steps from the province would be informed by that engagement with our federal partners,” it said.

Hezbollah, founded in 1982, is also designated as a terrorist entity in Canada, with Public Safety Canada calling it “one of the most technically capable terrorist groups in the world.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Mar. 23, 2026.