Three U.S. Republican members of Congress, Jefferson Shreve from Indiana, John Moolenaar from Michigan, and Michael Ruuli from Ohio, have introduced a resolution, H.R. 5490, calling for Cambodia to be placed on a “blacklist” for alleged transnational crimes. The proposal also seeks sanctions against specific Cambodian government officials and business leaders accused of involvement in criminal activities, including connections with Chinese firms.
Three members of the U.S. House of Representatives from the Republican Party — Jefferson Shreve of Indiana, John Moolenaar of Michigan, and Michael Ruuli of Ohio — have submitted a resolution to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs titled “Promoting International Fraudsters Accountability Act.”
The resolution calls for placing Cambodia on the blacklist and proposes sanctions against certain corrupt government officials and Cambodian tycoons, many of whom are closely connected by family ties or political allegiance to ruling party leader Hun Sen, as well as several Cambodian companies that collaborate with Chinese firms.
The resolution, submitted to the House Foreign Affairs Committee, aims to establish a task force to coordinate interagency efforts to dismantle transnational criminal networks operating online in Cambodia. These networks have reportedly targeted U.S. citizens through scams and other illicit schemes.
According to the proposal, 43 individuals, including members of Prime Minister Hun Sen’s inner circle and their relatives, are named for sanctions. Among them are business figures such as Neth Savoeun, a relative of Hun Sen; Hun To, a family member involved in the energy and natural resources sector; Kok An, a close associate of Hun Sen; Rithy Raksmei; Ing Dara; Honn Sorachna; Chou Bun Eng; and a South African national, Benjamin Mauerberger, known as Ben Smith, alleged to have managed operations for Hun Sen and Thak Sin Chinnavattra.
The resolution also includes sanctions on companies tied to these individuals, such as White Sands Palace Casino, the Hongmen World Cultural and Historical Association, and the Huione Group, operated by Hun To, along with other Cambodian firms that collaborate with Chinese entities.
On September 18, 2025, the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission reported that Cambodia is linked to Chinese-run fraud centers operating in the region, including in Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam. These networks reportedly targeted U.S. citizens, with losses estimated at $5 billion in 2024 alone.
Amnesty International, in a June 2025 report, estimated that over 120,000 people in Cambodia had been detained or forced to work for criminal enterprises running global online scams.
Former businessman Heng Sithy, currently in custody, revealed on January 10, 2025, that Yan Narong, a Chinese national managing Hun To’s operations, was operating fraudulent schemes targeting countries including the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia. Heng Sithy stated that Hun To was the company director, while Yan Narong served as general manager, alongside several other Chinese executives holding top management positions within the company.
The Cambodia Daily was unable to reach current Cambodian government officials for comment at the time of publication.
