Designation Of Two Montenegro Public Officials For Significant Corruption

The Department of State is publicly designating former Budva mayor and Member of Parliament Milo Božović and former President of the Supreme Court of Montenegro Vesna Medenica as generally ineligible for entry into the United States due to their involvement in significant corruption that enabled drug trafficking.

Božović abused his public positions to support organized crime and international drug trafficking operations.  Separately, Medenica abused her public position to support a criminal smuggling organization by leaking judicial information, mediating court decisions, and accepting bribes to skew judicial outcomes in return for cash and real property.

The designations reaffirm the United States’ commitment to combating illicit drug trafficking and transnational criminal organizations and corruption that threatens U.S. national security interests in the Western Balkans and beyond.

These public designations by the Department of State are made under Section 7031(c) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2024, as carried forward by the Continuing Appropriations Act.  The Department is also designating Božović’s immediate family members:  Dragana Božović, Balša Božović, and Pavle Božović, and Medenica’s immediate family members:  Milos Medenica and Marija Medenica, as generally ineligible for entry into the United States.