U.S. Cracks Down on Intellexa-Linked Espionage Network
The U.S. Treasury Department has imposed sanctions on five individuals and one company affiliated with the Intellexa consortium for their involvement in the development, operation, and dissemination of espionage technologies that pose a threat to U.S. national security. These measures complement previously imposed sanctions against other members of the consortium, as well as actions taken by the U.S. Department of Commerce and the State Department aimed at restricting the use of such technologies.
Intellexa is an international network of companies that develop and sell spyware under the brand name “Predator.” This software enables surreptitious access to data on victims’ devices, including photographs, messages, and microphone recordings. Intellexa’s spyware is utilized by governmental organizations and state structures worldwide, and its victims have included officials, journalists, and opposition politicians.
The following individuals and companies have been sanctioned:
- Felix Bitzios: A beneficiary of an Intellexa consortium company that supplied Predator spyware to a government client abroad. He also served as a manager of Intellexa S.A., a member of the consortium already under U.S. sanctions.
- Andrea Nicola Constantino Hermes Gambazzi: A beneficiary of Thalestris Limited and Intellexa Limited, both part of the Intellexa consortium. Thalestris Limited holds the distribution rights for Predator spyware and is the parent company of Intellexa S.A. Gambazzi was involved in processing financial transactions for other companies within the consortium.
- Merom Harpaz: A high-ranking executive within the Intellexa consortium, who also held the position of manager at Intellexa S.A.
- Panagiota Karaoli: A director of several companies within the Intellexa consortium, controlled by or subsidiaries of Thalestris Limited.
- Artemis Artemiou: General manager and board member of Cytrox Holdings, a member of the Intellexa consortium. Artemiou is also an employee of Intellexa S.A.
- Aliada Group Inc.: A British Virgin Islands-registered company, part of the Intellexa consortium, involved in tens of millions of dollars worth of transactions related to the network’s activities. Intellexa founder Tal Jonathan Dilian controls Aliada Group and is closely linked to Intellexa S.A. and Intellexa Limited. The company also holds shares in Cytrox Holdings.
These individuals and companies have been added to the sanctions list for cyber activities threatening U.S. national security and economic stability. These activities include misappropriating funds, trade secrets, personal data, and financial information for commercial or financial gain.
As a result of these sanctions, all assets of these individuals and entities located in the U.S. or under the control of U.S. citizens will be blocked. Any financial transactions involving them in the U.S. are prohibited without special permission from the Treasury Department.
U.S. citizens and companies are also prohibited from engaging in any transactions with these individuals or companies. Financial institutions that continue to cooperate with these individuals may also face sanctions.
The U.S. Treasury Department also reminded that the purpose of sanctions is not punishment, but to change the behavior of violators. Organizations and individuals subject to sanctions may submit a request for removal from the list if they meet certain conditions.
The U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on the consortium itself back in July 2023. At that time, the U.S. government and several research organizations accused Intellexa of trafficking in cyber exploits used to gain access to unsecured software systems.
Predator spyware has been actively used worldwide since 2019, selectively infecting devices on Android and iPhone. The U.S. Treasury Department claims that the consortium has a “global client base,” including various authoritarian states.
