Treasury removes sanctions for three executives tied to spyware maker Intellexa

The U.S. Treasury removed sanctions on three individuals linked to Intellexa’s Predator spyware, reversing 2024 designations and drawing criticism from digital rights advocates who question whether the individuals have ceased involvement. While U.S. officials previously alleged Predator targeted more than 50 U.S. government personnel and placed Intellexa on the Commerce Entity List, researchers recently observed Predator activity persisting in multiple countries in 2025 despite a slowdown, with clusters noted in places like Iraq, likely Pakistan, and Mozambique. The report also references prior findings of prospective customers across Africa and the Middle East and separate claims that Russian government operations leveraged Intellexa-developed exploits.