WASHINGTON — The U.S. Treasury Department has imposed financial sanctions on a South African woman accused of supporting the son of slain Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi in his efforts to overturn the country's transition towards democracy.
The U.S. Treasury said it was targeting 40-year-old Dalene Sanders because she was moving money from banks accounts in Uganda at the direction of Saadi Gaddafi, the former dictator's son. In February, she also met with Ugandan officials to discuss political asylum in that country for Saadi Gadhafi.
"We are determined to oppose all those who seek to foster violence, fear, or instability in Libya," David Cohen, Treasury undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said in a statement.
The Treasury's designation of Sanders is part of its broader goal of preventing funds that belong to the Libyan people from being misused, Cohen said.
Watch US News videos on NBCNews.com
As a result of Treasury's action, Americans are prohibited from dealing with Sanders and any of her assets under U.S. jurisdiction are frozen.
After his father’s regime was toppled, Saadi Gadhafi fled to Niger where he has been under house arrest. The new Libya government has moved to extradite him.
In February, he gave a phone interview to the Al Arabiya news in which said a popular uprising is brewing and his return to Libya is inevitable.
Reuters contributed to this report.
More world stories from NBC News:
- Self-professed Sept. 11 mastermind Mohammed airs his views at Gitmo hearing
- British government to recruit teens as next generation of spies
- U.S. nonprofit 'names and shames' businesses to put bite into Iran sanctions
- Van full of bodies stolen during drivers' break in Germany
- Revolt of the underclass in Syria
- Fidel Castro statement read at Havana event amid rumors about his health
- Rights group blasts Rwanda winning seat on UN Security Council
- 'Spy of the West': Al-Qaida, Taliban struggle to justify attack on Pakistani teen
- UK computer hacker wins 10 year fight against extradition to US
