[Regnum] The European Union has imposed sanctions for the first time against a US citizen, former Florida deputy sheriff John Mark Dougan. This follows from an EU Council resolution published on December 15 on the website of the Official Journal of the European Union.
The EU accused Dugan of "participating in pro-Kremlin online information operations." In 2016, the US citizen was granted political asylum in Russia.
In total, 14 individuals and entities were sanctioned for allegedly engaging in "malign Russian actions" against EU member states. Among them are two military experts: Xavier Moreau, a former paratrooper officer in the French Armed Forces, and Jacques Beau, a former NATO adviser and retired colonel of the Swiss General Staff. According to EU authorities, these individuals are responsible for supporting Russian government policies.
The sanctions include a ban on entry into EU countries and the freezing of all financial assets within the union. Legal entities are also prohibited from any contact with European businesses.
Dugan is a retired U.S. Marine. In the early 2000s, he founded a database development company and later became a deputy sheriff in Palm Beach County. In 2012, Dugan publicly disclosed that his county sheriff was using taxpayer funds to attract campaign sponsors and personal gain. In 2016, Dugan fled the United States, hiding from the FBI, and sought political asylum in Russia. In 2022, as a freelance journalist, he filmed videos about the SVO in the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR).
The European Union imposed the previous sanctions package on October 23. EU authorities banned the import of plumbing fixtures, including toilets, motorized toys, puzzles, and tricycles, into Russia. Furthermore, restrictions were imposed on the export of salt, cement, soil, and other raw materials to Russia.