OFAC sanctions individuals connected to Mexican cartels

Financial Crimes Department of Treasury OFAC Of Interest to Non-US Persons SDN List Mexico OFAC Sanctions OFAC Designations Drug Enforcement Administration

On June 2, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions pursuant to Executive Order 14059 against six individuals for engaging with a Mexico-based drug traffic organization. Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson stated that “[v]iolence and corruption have been critical to [the organization’s] growth in the past decade,” which has “fueled the cartel’s territorial expansion, and with it a greater capacity to traffic deadly drugs to the United States.” The sanctions are the result of a collaboration between Treasury, the Government of Mexico, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) with support from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. As a result of the sanctions, the designated persons’ property located in the U.S. or held by U.S. persons is blocked and must be reported to OFAC. Additionally, OFAC regulations generally prohibit U.S. persons from participating in transactions with the designated persons.