The U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has sanctioned Juan Carlos Bañuelos Ramirez and Gerardo Rivera Ibarra, leaders of the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG) for producing and trafficking illicit fentanyl into the U.S. Two Mexican companies, Fornely Lab S.A. de C.V. and Inmobiliaria Universal Déjà Vu S.A. de C.V., have also been sanctioned.
Concretely, The Treasury Department alleges Bañuelos "launders money, procures precursor chemicals, and oversees production labs within Mexico" while Rivera Ibarra is accused of "supplying fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine to the United States."
The action was coordinated with the Government of Mexico, including its financial intelligence unit, La Unidad de Inteligencia Financiera (UIF), as well as several U.S. government partners.
Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, Brian E. Nelson, provided further information:
"Over the past month, the Biden-Harris administration has imposed five new rounds of sanctions on transnational criminal organizations, including traffickers and revenue-generating schemes fueling the flood of fentanyl and other drugs into the United States by CJNG and other cartels. Building on our strong partnerships across the U.S. government and with our counterparts in Mexico, we will continue to act against the financial flows of CJNG and other criminal organizations that harm Americans through the illicit drug trade."
These designations are part of the Treasury's Counter-Fentanyl Strike Force efforts to disrupt the financial networks of drug cartels. CJNG was first sanctioned by OFAC in 2015 under the Kingpin Act and has faced multiple sanctions since then.
As a result of the sanction, all property and interests in property of the designated persons in the U.S. or under U.S. control are blocked. U.S. persons are also prohibited from engaging in transactions involving these assets, with potential civil or criminal penalties for violations. Non-U.S. persons are also restricted from causing U.S. persons to violate these sanctions.
© 2024 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
