Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation carried out what they called "law enforcement activity" at two residences tied to Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska.
According to the Associated Press, Deripaska is a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
A spokesperson for Deripaska said he does not own the residences, a mansion in Washington D.C., and a townhouse in New York City but are owned by relatives of his, the New York Times reported.
According to the AP, the spokesperson added the searches were “connected to U.S. sanctions.”
The FBI did not provide any additional information about the searches. Still, a spokesperson for the agency said agents were conducting a "law enforcement operation related to an ongoing investigation," the AP reported.
Deripaska was sanctioned by the Treasury Department in 2018 "for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, a senior official of the Government of the Russian Federation, as well as pursuant for operating in the energy sector of the Russian Federation economy."
The department investigated the billionaire for money laundering, threatening the lives of business rivals, illegal wiretapping, extortion, and racketeering.
According to the AP, he was mentioned in special counsel Robert Mueller’s report on interference in the 2016 presidential election.
