"Treasury is sanctioning companies that have enabled Dan Gertler to access the international financial system and profit from corruption and misconduct," Undersecretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Sigal Mandelker stated in the release. "We are using our tools to change the behavior of those engaged in the looting of natural resources and the humanitarian consequences that follow."
With the 14 entities penalized on Friday, the number of sanctioned entities and individuals in Gertler’s network totals 34, the release explained.
Gertler has used his close friendship with DRC President Joseph Kabila to act as a middleman for mining asset sales in the DRC, requiring some multinational companies to go through Gertler to do business with the Congolese state, according to the release.