- The U.S. Treasury’s OFAC sanctioned Aeza Group LLC and three related entities on July 1, 2025.
- Aeza Group provided Hosting services for Ransomware and Malware groups targeting global victims, including U.S. defense and technology sectors.
- The group supported cybercriminals like Meduza, Lumma infostealers, BlackSprut darknet market, and BianLian ransomware.
- Four individuals linked to Aeza Group were designated, including CEO Arsenii Aleksandrovich Penzev and General Director Yurii Meruzhanovich Bozoyan, both previously arrested in Russia.
- OFAC’s action included a UK-based front company and listed a cryptocurrency address connected to exchanges and sanctioned entities.
On July 1, 2025, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Aeza Group LLC along with three associated entities. This action targeted the group for supporting cybercriminal activity aimed at victims in the United States and worldwide.
The sanctions included a UK-based front company and four individuals connected to the organization.
According to OFAC’s press release, Aeza Group provided infrastructure services known as bulletproof hosting (BPH) to ransomware and malware operators such as Meduza and Lumma infostealers.
These groups targeted the U.S. defense industrial base and technology companies among other victims globally.
Infostealers are types of malware that collect personal information like passwords and sensitive credentials, often sold on darknet markets for profit. The Aeza Group is also accused of aiding BlackSprut, a centralized darknet market with over $900 million in incoming funds.
BlackSprut has been linked to fentanyl trafficking through sales of precursor chemicals and manufacturing equipment. Additionally, Aeza allegedly hosted BianLian ransomware, responsible for more than $2 million in cryptocurrency ransoms.
The three other entities sanctioned are Aeza Logistics LLC, Cloud Solutions LLC, and Aeza International Ltd, the latter being a UK-based front, designated in coordination with the UK National Crime Agency (NCA).
The four designated individuals include
- Arsenii Aleksandrovich Penzev (CEO, 33% owner),
- Yurii Meruzhanovich Bozoyan (General Director, 33% owner),
- Vladimir Vyacheslavovich Gast (Technical Director), and
- Igor Anatolyevich Knyazev (remaining 33% owner).
Penzev and Bozoyan were previously arrested in Russia for their roles in hosting Blacksprut.
OFAC also listed one cryptocurrency address tied to Aeza Group LLC. According to Elliptic’s blockchain analytics, this address interacts with several exchanges and a Russian-language Telegram wallet bot connected to sanctioned entities like Bitpapa and the now-defunct Garantex.
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