In May 2024, the US levied sanctions on two companies (Mining Industries SARLU and Logistique Economique Etrangere SARLU) linked to the Wagner Group (now known as the Africa Corps), a private Russian military company that is backed by the Kremlin and active in many African countries. According to the US Office of Foreign Assets Control, the Wagner Group has established a vast security and business network in the Central African Republic, which includes involvement in illegal logging and timber trafficking.