In accordance with Executive Order (E.O.) 14059, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the Department of the Treasury sanctioned 10 individuals on September 26, including affiliates and fugitives associated with the Sinaloa Cartel, one of Mexico's most destructive transnational criminal groups. The Treasury Department prioritizes disrupting the illicit fentanyl trafficking, which is part of a larger effort to address the opioid public health crisis in the United States.
According to Brian E. Nelson, a spokesperson for the Treasury, "Treasury prioritizes the disruption of illicit fentanyl trafficking as part of the whole-of-government effort to address the opioid public health crisis plaguing the United States."
The Los Chapitos group, a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, was among those sanctioned by OFAC. The Sinaloa Cartel is responsible for a significant amount of illegal fentanyl and other dangerous drugs smuggled into the United States. The Treasury Department also imposed sanctions on the leader of the Clan del Golfo, one of Colombia's largest criminal organizations involved in cocaine production, transportation, and cultivation.
The actions taken by OFAC are the result of ongoing cooperation with U.S. government partners, particularly the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Rocky Mountain Division. The Treasury Department worked closely with Mexico's Financial Intelligence Unit, La Unidad de Inteligencia Financiera, to coordinate the sanctions in Mexico. Simultaneously, the United States and Colombia Counternarcotics Working Group convened in Bogota, Colombia, to address the drug trade.
OFAC designated nine individuals based in Mexico who were involved in fentanyl and other illegal drug trafficking on behalf of Los Chapitos and the Sinaloa Cartel. Seven of these individuals were indicted in April 2023 by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York (SDNY) on various charges, including fentanyl trafficking, gun trafficking, and money laundering.
In April 2023, the U.S. Department of State also made offers under the Narcotics Reward Program in hopes of capturing and convicting individuals associated with the Sinaloa Cartel. The individuals targeted for capture and/or conviction include Jorge Humberto Figueroa Benitez, Leobardo Garcia Corrales, Martin Garcia Corrales, Liborio Nunez Aguirre, Samuel Leon Alvarado, Carlos Mario Limon Vazquez, and Mario Alberto Jimenez Castro.
Jorge Humberto Figueroa Benitez is a commander in the Chapitos security network responsible for protecting certain Sinaloa Cartel members and coordinating the production and trafficking of illegal fentanyl. Leobardo and Martin Garcia Corrales, both citizens of Mexico, are brothers who operate fentanyl factories in Oaxaca, Mexico. They also facilitate the sale of illegal fentanyl and use the proceeds to purchase weapons such as automatic rifles and grenades. These brothers are known allies of Sinaloa Cartel leaders Joaquin Archivaldo "El Chapo" Guzman Loera and Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada Garcia.
The Treasury Department's sanctions aim to disrupt the operations of the Sinaloa Cartel and its affiliates, as well as the Clan del Golfo in Colombia, in order to combat the illegal drug trade and address the opioid crisis in the United States.
