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WASHINGTON — Trump White House official Peter Navarro, who was convicted of contempt of Congress for refusing to cooperate with a congressional investigation into the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, was sentenced on Thursday to four months behind bars.  He was the second Trump aide convicted of contempt of Congress charges, after former White House adviser Steve Bannon, who also got a four-month sentence but is free pending appeal.  Navarro was found guilty of defying a subpoena for documents and a deposition from the House January 6 committee. He served as a White House trade adviser under then-President Donald Trump and later promoted the Republican's baseless claims of mass voter fraud in the 2020 election he lost to Democrat Joe Biden.  He has vowed to appeal the verdict, saying he couldn't cooperate with the committee because Trump had invoked executive privilege. A judge barred him from making that argument at trial, however, finding that he didn't show Trump had actually invoked it.  Navarro said in court before his sentencing Thursday that the House committee investigating the January 6 attack had led him to believe that it accepted his invocation of executive privilege. "Nobody in my position should be put in conflict between the legislative branch and the executive branch," he told the judge.  The judge told Navarro that it took "chutzpah" for him to assert that he accepted responsibility for his actions while also suggesting that his prosecution was politically motivated. "You are not a victim. You are not the object of a political prosecution," the judge said. "These are circumstances of your own making.”  Navarro's lawyers had advised him not to address the judge, but he said he wanted to speak after hearing the judge express disappointment in him. Responding to a question about why he didn't initially seek a lawyer's counsel, he told the judge, "I didn't know what to do, sir."  The judge is allowing Navarro's defense to submit a written brief on the question of allowing him to remain free pending appeal.  Justice Department prosecutors said Navarro tried to "hide behind claims of privilege" even before he knew what the committee wanted, showing a "disdain" for the committee that should warrant a longer sentence. Prosecutors had asked a judge to sentence him to six months behind bars and impose a $200,000 fine.  Defense attorneys said Trump did claim executive privilege, putting Navarro in an "untenable position," and they asked for a sentence of probation and a $100 fine.  Bannon, who also made executive-privilege arguments, was convicted of two counts. Navarro's sentencing comes after a judge rejected his bid for a new trial. His attorneys had argued that jurors may have been improperly influenced by political protesters outside the courthouse when they took a break from deliberations. Shortly after their break, the jurors found Navarro guilty of two misdemeanor counts of contempt of Congress. But U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta found that Navarro didn't show that the eight-minute break had any effect on the September verdict. He found no protest was underway and no one approached the jurors — they interacted only with each other and the court officer assigned to accompany them. 

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

After 12 people were killed at a UN training center in Gaza, there are increased calls for protecting civilians. The situation in Gaza is beginning to affect the American presidential race. There is more finger pointing, about the downed Russian plane that may have been carrying Ukrainian POWs

Brian Green and Stephen Yale-Loehr describe the recent oral arguments in two SCOTUS cases which could dramatically affect federal agency review; it is yet unclear whether the decisions will hurt or help immigrants when challenging ambiguous agency decisions or interpretations.

The post Is Chevron Dead? Thoughts after Oral Arguments in Relentless, Inc. and Loper Bright Enterprises first appeared on Blog: Think Immigration.

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

Nairobi — Climate change has hit African farmers and food processors hard in recent years, making agriculture and the raw farm products that food companies depend on more unpredictable. However, an organization that promotes food security in Africa says farmers and processors are creating a more resilient food system by adapting to the new climate and creating a better infrastructure to minimize losses after the harvest. Over the years, international organizations partnering with experts, food processing companies and governments, have worked to educate farmers on how to produce crops amid ever-changing technology and unpredictable weather patterns. A nonprofit organization, Partners in Food Solutions, says that due to those efforts, African food processing companies are now starting to reap real rewards. The organization’s recent report says over 200 food companies they collaborated with in the past year saw growth in their income, the workforce and the food supply they receive from farmers. Tropical Lush, a fresh fruit juice producing company in Kenya, is one of the companies that has received the support of PFS over the past 10 years. Adrash Shah, head of Tropical Lush, said the company has increased revenue by 15% and often adds five to 10 temporary workers to its 30-person staff to meet demand. He credits his company’s growth in part to local farmers, who he says have increased their quality and quantity. "Even though global warming and rains and all that kind of stuff is affecting the produce … we are generally able to get much better quality and more reliable supplies in our fruits from the farmers," Shah said. "With better farming techniques and a lot of better knowledge now, the farmers are able to access smartphones. They are able to predict weather patterns, able to see the soil [fertility], all those little things are probably now adding up and helping to benefit the farmer directly." PFS, which is headquartered in the U.S., provides expertise from food industry giants like General Mills, Hershey and Cargill to help African processors with business strategy, growth, sourcing food, food safety and quality, storage, branding and marketing. The organization says the companies it supports have increased their revenue by an average of 20 percent and increased food supply from farmers by 50%. Johnson Kiragu, regional program director for East Africa, said he has seen the transfer of global food companies’ expertise to Africa succeed. "The eight global food companies that support us as PFS and directly support the food companies in Africa have shared 800 years of combined expertise," Kiragu said. "And we are sharing with a company that says it is three years [old]. So you can imagine how long they would have taken to get to a point where they can learn organically about this technology, about the way of doing business." Shah said his company sought advice on how to grow the company and manufacture quality products. "Whenever we have an issue with shelf life, temperature, cold chains [or] we want to make a new product, new product development,” he said, “there is somebody out there who they can put us in touch with within a month and we start chatting with them and they help us." Along with farming issues, African food companies often have to deal with inadequate harvesting methods, poor infrastructure and a lack of proper packaging and storage facilities. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations says Sub-Saharan Africa experiences food losses as high as 50% for high-value commodities in between production and retail. Kiragu of PFS said the organization is working with food producers to improve food handling practices, upgrade shipping and enhance storage facilities for agricultural produce. "PFS is to make sure that there are ready and stable markets and we do this by supporting the businesses where they supply who is their market," he said. “And then once they are assured of that you can see the resiliency and the stability of the entire food value chain coming into place." Companies face issues outside the food chain as well, such as corruption, slow issuance of operational permits and police roadblocks that slow down food delivery to consumers.

ISLAMABAD — Pakistan alleged Thursday that a recent spate of assassinations of its citizens on Pakistani soil was orchestrated by India, claiming that the violent acts bear resemblance to cases that have occurred in other countries, including the United States and Canada. Foreign Secretary Muhammad Syrus Qazi told a news conference in Islamabad that his government had collected "credible evidence" linking Indian intelligence operatives to the killings of two Pakistani citizens in September and October of last year.  "These were killings-for-hire cases involving a sophisticated international setup spread over multiple jurisdictions. Indian agents used technology and safe havens on foreign soil to commit assassinations in Pakistan," Qazi stated.  "They fit the pattern of similar cases, which have come to light in other countries, including Canada and the United States. Clearly, the Indian network of extrajudicial and extraterritorial killings has become a global phenomenon," asserted the Pakistani official.  Qazi identified the slain Pakistani men as Shahid Latif and Muhammad Riaz, saying investigations were also underway into several other killings in recent months to determine if Indian agents also sponsored them.  Recent Indian media reports have said that Riaz and Latif were wanted by New Delhi for their roles in plotting "terrorist" attacks against India and its administered part of the disputed Kashmir region.  The Indian foreign ministry spokesperson, in a statement, swiftly rejected Thursday's allegations by Islamabad as "false and malicious" propaganda against India.  "As the world knows, Pakistan has long been the epicenter of terrorism, organized crime, and illegal transnational activities," said Randhir Jaiswal. "India and many other countries have publicly warned Pakistan, cautioning that it would be consumed by its own culture of terror and violence ... To blame others for its own misdeeds can neither be a justification nor a solution," Jaiswal added.  The Pakistani allegations came nearly two months after U.S. federal prosecutors in late November accused a man, who claimed to be a "senior field officer" for an Indian intelligence agency, of orchestrating a foiled assassination plot against an American citizen, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. He is the leader of the Sikh separatist movement in India. Last September, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told an emergency parliamentary session that his government had "credible allegations" linking Indian agents to the slaying of exiled Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia last June.  New Delhi has rejected Trudeau's allegations and has launched an investigation into U.S. charges. 

Baku, Azerbaijan — Efforts to free investigative journalist Hafiz Babali from prison in Azerbaijan failed last week when the Baku Court of Appeal denied a motion to release him to house arrest.   Babali, an editor at the independent Turan News Agency, was detained on December 13 on charges of “smuggling foreign currency” and ordered to be held in pretrial detention for three months.   His lawyer, Rasul Jafarov, told VOA that Babali denies the accusations and believes the case against him is related to his investigative journalism. Babali is editor of Turan’s economy section.   Since late 2023, accusations of smuggling foreign currency have been leveled against five other journalists, all of whom work at Abzas Media, an outlet that focuses on corruption. If convicted, they could face up to eight years in prison. The journalists deny the accusations and link their persecution to investigations into suspected corruption among high-ranking officials in Azerbaijan. The arrests came amid a spike in media detentions, with at least 10 journalists detained since November. Some journalists and human rights defenders have noted the timing of the arrests, with a snap presidential election due to be held February.    Aynur Elgunesh, editor-in-chief of Meydan TV, says the arrests took focus away from other issues, which benefited the government.   “We began to focus a little more on ourselves, and arrests and agitations inevitably led to other issues being pushed back,” she told VOA. Bahruz Maharramov, a member of the Azerbaijani parliament, told VOA he did not agree with the claim that the legal cases are related to media activity. “There are specific legal facts about any citizen against whom criminal prosecution has been initiated. Work is being done in this direction,” he said. One of the detainees, Elnara Gasimova, spoke with VOA shortly before being called in for questioning a second time.   Gasimova, who also works for Abzas Media, said she expected to be detained on bogus charges. “I do not accept the accusations related to the Abzas Media case, neither on my behalf nor on behalf of others, because we are journalists and are subjected to this treatment solely because of our professional activities,” she said. Authorities later detained Gasimova on January 13 and ordered her held in pretrial detention for 2 1/2 months on charges of “group smuggling.” Elgunesh told VOA that Abzas Media was trying to convey real information to the audience about owners of investments, the companies involved, and that few tenders — invitations to bid on a project — are held in the country.   “At the same time, Abzas Media questioned the wealth of people represented in the highest level of power. Thus, it became a threat to the government. They saw that the law they drafted had little effect on independent journalists,” said Elgunesh, referring to a 2022 media law. Enacted by President Ilham Aliyev in January 2022, the media law was condemned by media groups, international organizations and the Venice Commission, a Council of Europe body that advises on constitutional matters. Human rights defender Anar Mammadli told VOA that freedom of media and expression have always been under government pressure.   “Azerbaijani authorities, demonstrating political intolerance, are conducting a policy of pressure against those with different opinions, including critical journalists, media organizations and social media users. The main purpose of this is to prevent different, alternative opinions in the country,” he said. Mammadli said the arrests of so many journalists in recent weeks is an indicator of the government's intolerant attitude toward freedom of expression. To prevent this, he said, the government must show tolerance for criticism. “It should not be afraid of criticism. It must demonstrate political will. Unfortunately, this does not exist,” he said. Elgunesh says international organizations are paying attention to the human rights situation in Azerbaijan. “We saw from the PACE session that the issue of human rights is on the agenda. I hope that external pressure will continue. In Azerbaijan, the government will not be able to narrow the boundaries of freedom of speech as much as it wants,” she said. PACE is the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.   In a statement to VOA, the European Union foreign policy and security affairs press office said freedom of expression and independent media are universal values. “The human rights situation in Azerbaijan, and the situation of independent media in particular, remain an issue of concern that we repeatedly raise with our Azerbaijani counterparts,” said the statement, attributed to spokesperson Peter Stano.  “We use every opportunity to call on Azerbaijan to uphold its domestic and international obligations regarding freedom of media and human rights of its own citizens.” Azerbaijan is ranked 151 among 180 countries on the World Press Freedom Index where 1 shows the best media environment.   Maharramov, the parliamentarian, told VOA he does need believe the annual index compiled by Reporters Without Borders is objective.   “We do not consider this kind of prejudice acceptable,” he said. Babali’s lawyer says the efforts to secure his client’s release or move to house arrest will continue. “If there is a desire or request from him, relevant complaints will be sent to the European Court of Human Rights,” Jafarov said.

Windhoek, Namibia — Namibian President Hage Geingob is set to undergo medical treatment in the United States after an exam found the possible return of cancerous cells in his body, according to a news release from his office Wednesday. Having been diagnosed, treated and cleared of prostate cancer, Geingob was again found to have cancerous cells after undergoing colonoscopy, gastroscopy and biopsy procedures earlier this month. The CEO of the Cancer Association of Namibia, Rolf Hansen, told VOA the president has been open about his cancer diagnosis in the past. He said early detection and treatment played a big role in Geingob’s past treatment and recovery. “The scope that was done indicates that there might be cancerous cells in the soft tissue, perhaps the gut, the stomach, something like this,” Hansen said. “But until there is a formal prognosis by a doctor that has been publicly released, it’s all speculation.” Political analyst James Makuwa said Namibians would like to know more about what the latest diagnosis means. “What are the reasons and motives of the president’s office sharing a diagnosis which has no prognosis?” Makuwa asked. “They are basically putting the country in a state of panic ... because you are telling us the person’s diagnosis, but we have no clue what condition he’s in, how he is doing, what is going to happen to him. We have no clue.” According to the statement issued by the president’s office, Geingob accepted an offer from scientists and doctors in Los Angeles to undergo a novel therapy for the cancerous cells. Dr. Elizabeth Kamati lauded Geingob’s openness in a country where men are known not to take their health seriously until too late. “We applaud the president for being very open to us,” she said. “He can encourage other men who are also going through the same disease of cancer, which is somehow taboo in our society, to come out and tell them a diagnosis with cancer is not a death sentence.” The president has come under harsh criticism in the past for seeking medical treatment abroad. However, Namibian doctors acknowledge that cancer treatments are relatively specialized and that the country does not have the equipment and medical expertise to treat the disease effectively.

State Department — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday the United States will continue intensive engagement with African partners in hopes of resolving the ongoing conflicts in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Blinken held talks Thursday with Angolan President Joao Lourenco in which they discussed “concrete ways" to achieve “a durable peace” in the DRC’s conflict-ridden eastern region. These discussions come against a backdrop of escalating tensions between Rwanda and the DRC, marked by several alleged cross-border attacks by Congolese and Rwandan forces. “The United States very much appreciates President Lourenco’s continued efforts to de-escalate tensions between Rwanda and the DRC. We believe that the Luanda process, in tandem with the Nairobi process, is the best hope for enduring peace. Angola is trusted by all sides. President Lourenco’s leadership is vital for breakthrough,” said Blinken during a press conference before wrapping up the visit, which was part of a four-nation tour of Africa. The chronic and escalating conflicts in eastern Congo have led regional countries to initiate two peace processes. The Nairobi Process is aimed at the disarmament of rebel groups within the DRC, while the Luanda Process focuses on resolving tensions between the DRC and its neighbor, Rwanda, which the DRC accuses of supporting the M23 rebel group. Rwanda denies the accusation. In his meeting with Angolan Foreign Minister Tete Antonio, Blinken discussed the U.S.-Angola bilateral relationship, emphasizing the growing cooperation with Luanda in major railway infrastructure projects and outer space exploration. “The United States has committed funding to refurbish the existing 1,300-kilometer Lobito Atlantic Railway. And we've taken the first steps to build out 800 kilometers a new rail reaching Zambia, including through a consortium with Angola and other partners,” said Blinken during a joint press conference.   Blinken said these projects are the biggest investment the United States has made in railways on the African continent in over a generation and are central to the partnership for global infrastructure investment work in Angola. In November 2023, the U.S. and Angola signed the Artemis Accords, a set of principles to guide space exploration cooperation among nations. Over the past four years, the U.S. has significantly increased its military assistance to Angola, providing more than $18 million from 2020 to 2023. In the coming year, the U.S. will explore new opportunities to expand capacity-building efforts in cybersecurity and for Angola’s Navy, according to the State Department. Blinken began his four-nation tour of Africa on Monday. Besides Angola, the trip included stops in Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, and Nigeria. In Cape Verde’s capital Praia, Blinken met with Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva and toured Porto da Praia, modernized with U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation funding. Blinken praised Cape Verde for being the first country to complete two Millennium Challenge Corporation compacts and starting a third. He also acknowledged Cape Verde's WHO certification as malaria-free. In Ivory Coast, Blinken met with President Alassane Ouattara and announced $45 million in new funding to help the West African country and its neighbors prevent conflict and promote stability amid regional threats. This contribution brings the total U.S. stability-focused assistance in coastal West Africa to nearly $300 million since 2022. Ivory Coast borders three countries that have experienced coups in recent years: Guinea in September 2021; Mali in August 2020 and May 2021; and Burkina Faso in January and September 2022. In Nigeria, Blinken held talks focused on regional security with President Bola Tinubu and Foreign Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar.   Nigeria shares a border with Niger, where the military ousted its elected leader, Mohamed Bazoum, in July 2023. Highlighting Nigeria's role in the Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS, Blinken commended its efforts toward restoring constitutional order and democracy in Niger. During a press conference in Abuja, Blinken said the United States is determined to remain a strong security partner for Nigeria, a key partner in the U.S. fight against Islamist insurgents in West Africa. The chief U.S. diplomat's trip to three countries in West Africa, and one in southern Africa, Angola, comes as Washington seeks to deepen its economic and security partnerships in regions where China and Russia have made significant inroads.

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Pentagon — The United States and Iraq will start talks to end the U.S.-led international military coalition in Iraq and transition to a bilateral partnership, continuing the process that has been stalled by the Israel-Hamas war. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin issued a statement Thursday saying the talks would begin "in the coming days." Iraq and the U.S. in August 2023 committed to the talks, which Austin said would allow a bilateral relationship between the two countries to build on the success of Iraq’s Defeat-Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (D-ISIS) campaign. "U.S. military personnel are in Iraq at the invitation of the Iraqi government, as part of Operation Inherent Resolve’s mission to advise, assist, and enable the Iraqi security forces in their ongoing fight against ISIS. The United States remains committed to a secure, stable, and sovereign Iraq," Austin said. Officials have said the transition was planned as Iraqi forces successfully built up their capability to independently counter remnants of the Islamic State terror group, in order to prevent its resurgence. The arrangement, with Iraqi forces in the lead since December 2021, has proved successful, according to the officials. U.S. estimates show IS ranks have been cut to fewer than 1,000 fighters in Iraq while the group's leadership there has likewise been continually degraded by Iraqi forces. Speaking through a translator during his visit in August, Iraqi Minister of Defense Thabit Muhammad al-Abbasi said it was crucial to "maintain the victories" Iraqi and U.S. forces had already secured. The U.S. has about 2,500 troops in Iraq tasked with advising and assisting Iraqi security forces as they pursue the remnants of the Islamic State group, also known as ISIS or Daesh. Jeff Seldin contributed to this report.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. economy grew at an unexpectedly brisk 3.3% annual pace from October through December as Americans showed a continued willingness to spend freely despite high interest rates and price levels that have frustrated many households.  Thursday's report from the Commerce Department said the gross domestic product — the economy's total output of goods and services — decelerated from its sizzling 4.9% growth rate the previous quarter. But the latest figures still reflected the surprising durability of the world's largest economy, marking the sixth straight quarter in which GDP has grown at an annual pace of 2% or more.  Consumers, who account for about 70% of the total economy, drove the fourth-quarter growth. Their spending expanded at a 2.8% annual rate, for items ranging from clothing, furniture, recreational vehicles and other goods to services like hotels and restaurant meals.  The GDP report also showed that despite the robust pace of growth in the October-December quarter, inflationary measures continued to ease. Consumer prices rose at a 1.7% annual rate, down from 2.6% in the third quarter. And excluding volatile food and energy prices, so-called core inflation came in at a 2% annual rate.  Those inflation numbers could reassure the Federal Reserve's policymakers, who have already signaled that they expect to cut their benchmark interest rate three times in 2024, reversing their 2022-2023 policy of aggressively raising rates to fight inflation.  "Although GDP growth came in hotter than expected in the fourth quarter, underlying inflation continued to slow,'' said Paul Ashworth, chief North America economist at Capital Economics. "The upshot is that an early spring rate cut by the Fed is still the most likely outcome."  The state of the economy is sure to weigh on people's minds ahead of the November elections. After an extended period of gloom, Americans are starting to feel somewhat better about inflation and the economy — a trend that could sustain consumer spending, fuel economic growth and potentially affect voters' decisions. A measure of consumer sentiment by the University of Michigan, for example, has jumped in the past two months by the most since 1991.  There is growing optimism that the Fed is on track to deliver a rare "soft landing" — keeping borrowing rates high enough to cool growth, hiring and inflation yet not so much as to send the economy into a tailspin. Inflation touched a four-decade high in 2022 but has since edged steadily lower without the painful layoffs that most economists had thought would be necessary to slow the acceleration of prices.  The economy has repeatedly defied predictions that the Fed's aggressive rate hikes would trigger a recession. Far from collapsing last year, the economy accelerated — expanding 2.5%, up from 1.9% in 2022.  "Our expectation is for a soft landing, and it looks like things are moving that way,'' said Beth Ann Bovino, chief economist at U.S. Bank. Still, Bovino expects the economy to slow somewhat this year as higher rates weaken borrowing and spending.  "People are going to get squeezed,'' she said.  The economy's outlook had looked far bleaker a year ago. As recently as April 2023, an economic model published by the Conference Board, a business group, had pegged the likelihood of a U.S. recession over the next 12 months at close to 99%.  Even as inflation in the United States has slowed significantly, overall prices remain nearly 17% above where they were before the pandemic erupted three years ago, which has exasperated many Americans. That fact will likely raise a pivotal question for the nation's voters, many of whom are still feeling the lingering financial and psychological effects of the worst bout of inflation in four decades. Which will carry more weight in the presidential election: The sharp drop in inflation or the fact that most prices are well above where they were three years ago?  The Fed began raising its benchmark rate in March 2022 in response to the resurgence in inflation that accompanied the economy's recovery from the pandemic recession. By the time its hikes ended in July last year, the central bank had raised its influential rate from near zero to roughly 5.4%, the highest level since 2001.  As the Fed's rate hikes worked their way through the economy, year-over-year inflation slowed from 9.1% in June 2022, the fastest rate in four decades, to 3.4% as of last month. That marked a striking improvement but still leaves that inflation measure above the Fed's 2% target.  The progress so far has come at surprisingly little economic cost. Employers have added a healthy 225,000 jobs a month over the past year. And unemployment has remained below 4% for 23 straight months, the longest such streak since the 1960s.  The once red-hot job market has cooled somewhat, easing pressure on companies to raise pay to keep or attract employees and then pass on their higher labor costs to their customers through price hikes.  It's happened in perhaps the least painful way: Employers are generally posting fewer job openings rather than laying off workers. That is partly because many companies are reluctant to risk losing workers after having been caught flat-footed when the economy roared back from the brief but brutal 2020 pandemic recession.  "Businesses are getting rid of job openings, but they're holding onto workers," Bovino said.  Another reason for the economy's sturdiness is that consumers emerged from the pandemic in surprisingly good financial shape, partly because tens of millions of households had received government stimulus checks. As a result, many consumers have managed to keep spending even in the face of rising prices and high interest rates.  Some economists have suggested that the economy will weaken in the coming months as pandemic savings are exhausted, credit card use nears its limits and higher borrowing rates curtail spending. Still, the government reported last week that consumers stepped up their spending at retailers in December, an upbeat end to the holiday shopping season. 

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LONDON/WASHINGTON — Britain and the United States on Thursday said they had sanctioned four senior Houthi officials for their roles in supporting or directing attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea. The Houthi attacks have disrupted global shipping and stoked fears of global inflation. They have also deepened concern that fallout from the Israel-Hamas war could destabilize the Middle East. Those sanctioned were Houthi Defense Minister Mohamed Nasser al-Atifi, Commander of Houthi Naval Forces Muhammad Fadl Abd Al-Nabi, coastal defense forces chief Muhammad Ali al-Qadiri and Muhammed Ahmad al-Talibi, who the two governments described as the Houthi forces director of procurement. "The Houthis' persistent terrorist attacks on merchant vessels and their civilian crews ... threaten to disrupt international supply chains and the freedom of navigation, which is critical to global security, stability, and prosperity,” the U.S. Treasury's Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, Brian Nelson, said in a statement.   "Today’s joint action with the United Kingdom demonstrates our collective action to leverage all authorities to stop these attacks." Britain said the four men were involved in acts which "threaten the peace, security and stability of Yemen." The U.S. action freezes any U.S.-based assets of those targeted and generally bars Americans from dealing with them. On Monday, U.S. and British forces carried out a new round of strikes in Yemen, targeting a Houthi underground storage site as well as missile and surveillance capabilities used by the Iran-aligned group against Red Sea shipping.