S416-118

Reported

To designate the Russian-based mercenary Wagner Group as a foreign terrorist organization, and for other purposes.

118th Congress Introduced Feb 14, 2023

Legislative Progress

Reported
Introduced Committee Passed
Jul 25, 2023

Reported by Mr. Menendez, with an amendment

Jul 25, 2023

Reported by Mr. Menendez, with an amendment

Jul 25, 2023

Reported by Mr. Menendez, with an amendment

Jul 25, 2023

Reported by Mr. Menendez, with an amendment

Jul 25, 2023

Reported by Mr. Menendez, with an amendment

Jul 25, 2023

Reported by Mr. Menendez, with an amendment

Jul 25, 2023

Reported by Mr. Menendez, with an amendment

Jul 25, 2023

Reported by Mr. Menendez, with an amendment

Jul 25, 2023

Reported by Mr. Menendez, with an amendment

Jul 25, 2023

Reported by Mr. Menendez, with an amendment

Summary

What This Bill Does

Mandates that the Secretary of State designate the Russian Wagner Group mercenary organization as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. Wagner is already sanctioned as a transnational criminal organization but FTO designation adds additional legal tools.

Who Benefits and How

  • U.S. national security apparatus gains additional legal tools against Wagner operations
  • Ukraine and allied nations benefit from increased pressure on Russian proxy forces
  • Countries where Wagner operates may see reduced Wagner influence due to increased sanctions

Who Bears the Burden and How

  • State Department must complete designation process and maintain FTO listing
  • Entities doing business with Wagner face criminal penalties under FTO laws
  • Countries hosting Wagner forces may face diplomatic pressure

Key Provisions

  • Mandates FTO designation within 90 days
  • Builds on existing Treasury sanctions and criminal organization designation
  • Covers Wagner Group and affiliated entities of Yevgeniy Prigozhin
  • References Wagner activities in Ukraine and other global operations
Model: claude-opus-4
Generated: Jan 10, 2026 16:50

Evidence Chain:

This summary is derived from the structured analysis below. See "Detailed Analysis" for per-title beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.

Primary Purpose

Requires designation of Russias Wagner Group as a foreign terrorist organization

Policy Domains

National Security Foreign Affairs Counterterrorism

Legislative Strategy

"Increase legal pressure on Russian mercenary operations through FTO designation"

Bill Structure & Actor Mappings

Who is "The Secretary" in each section?

Domains
National Security Foreign Affairs
Actor Mappings
"the_secretary"
→ Secretary of State

We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.

Learn more about our methodology