The U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control recently designated a high-caliber firearms dealer for acting on behalf of the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion.
Obed Christian Sepulveda Portillo reportedly "coordinated the daily procurement of firearms and bulk ammunition fromthe U.S. southwest border into Mexico," according to a July 11 news release.
“Cartels exist for one reason and one reason only – to generate a profit," Scott Brown, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Phoenix, said in the release. "The CJNG is no exception and has demonstrated they will go through great lengths, costing lives, in efforts to further their control. As a border state, we see first-hand how these criminal organizations continue their attempts to smuggling narcotics and contraband through our shared border. With the coordination of our partnered agencies, HSI is committed to end the plague that is CJNG.”
Homeland Security Investigation's multi-agency probe included the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Government of Mexico, the release reported.
“Treasury is actively targeting those who support and supply drug trafficking and criminal organizations, especially those engaged in the production and distribution of synthetic opioids that claim the lives of tens of thousands of Americans each year,” Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson said in the release.
