Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT)

SDGT is an OFAC designation for individuals and entities involved in terrorism. SDGTs appear on the SDN list and are subject to asset freezes and transaction prohibitions.

TL;DR

TL;DR: SDGT is an OFAC designation for people and entities involved in terrorism. SDGTs appear on the SDN List and are subject to asset freezes and a prohibition on transactions.

What the SDGT designation means

Specially Designated Global Terrorist is a designation OFAC applies to individuals and entities linked to terrorism. Once designated, the person or entity is added to the SDN List. Their assets within US jurisdiction are frozen, and US persons are generally prohibited from transacting with them. The prohibition extends to dealings that would otherwise be ordinary commerce.

How it fits the SDN List

The SDN List is the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List, a single roster that gathers designations from multiple programs, including terrorism. An SDGT appears on that list alongside other designated parties, and screening against the list is how an organization detects them. The 50 Percent Rule also extends the designation to entities that are 50 percent or more owned by an SDGT.

The screening implication

Because SDGTs sit on the same list as other designations, standard SDN screening catches them automatically. A name check or a wallet check against the list returns a flag, and the payment should stop. There is no separate list to consult for terrorism designations, which simplifies the control.

The agent payment angle

An AI agent that pays without screening could route funds to an SDGT-listed counterparty and trigger strict liability, with penalties starting at $356,000 per violation. Screening the counterparty before the payment, as sanctionsai.dev does in under 100 ms against 19,218 SDN names, closes that gap before any funds move.