The
U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) today
announced the designation of four key Sinaloa Cartel operatives, including two
sons of Sinaloa drug lord Joaquin “Chapo” Guzman Loera. Today’s action,
pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (Kingpin Act),
prohibits U.S. persons from conducting financial or commercial transactions
with these four individuals, and also freezes any assets they may have under
U.S. jurisdiction.
Today’s action would not have been
possible without the support of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). “In
order to put organizations like the Sinaloa Cartel out of business, we must
continue to utilize every tool available to ensure that these criminal groups
and their associates cannot exploit the U.S. financial system,” said DEA Chief
of Financial Operations John Arvanitis. “DEA is attacking the Sinaloa Cartel
and other organizations at every level like never before, so they are put out
of business and their leaders are brought to justice.”
OFAC is designating Ivan Archivaldo
Guzman Salazar and Ovidio Guzman Lopez for their roles in their father’s drug
trafficking organization and the Sinaloa Cartel. In 2005, Mexican authorities
arrested Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar on money laundering charges, but he was
later released. Ovidio Guzman Lopez also plays a significant role in his
father’s drug trafficking activities. Noel Salgueiro Nevarez is the head of the
Sinaloa Cartel in the Mexican state of Chihuahua where a bloody turf war has
claimed the lives of thousands. Mexican authorities arrested him in October
2011, and he remains in Mexican custody. Ovidio Limon Sanchez, also currently
in Mexican custody, is a major operative for the Sinaloa Cartel in Sinaloa
state. He was arrested in November 2011 by Mexican authorities. Additionally,
in 2009, a jury in the U.S. District for the Central District of California
returned an indictment against Ovidio Limon Sanchez, charging him with multiple
counts of drug trafficking.
“OFAC will aggressively target those
individuals who facilitate Chapo Guzman’s drug trafficking operations,
including family members,” said OFAC Director Adam J. Szubin. “With the
Government of Mexico, we are firm in our resolve to dismantle Chapo Guzman’s
drug trafficking organization.”
Joaquin Guzman Loera and the Sinaloa
Cartel were previously identified by the President as significant foreign
narcotics traffickers pursuant to the Kingpin Act in 2001 and 2009,
respectively.
Internationally, OFAC has designated
more than 1,000 businesses and individuals linked to 94 drug kingpins since
June 2000. Penalties for violations of the Kingpin Act range from civil
penalties of up to $1.075 million per violation to more severe criminal
penalties. Criminal penalties for corporate officers may include up to 30 years
in prison and fines up to $5 million. Criminal fines for corporations may reach
$10 million. Other individuals could face up to 10 years in prison and fines
pursuant to Title 18 of the United States Code for criminal violations of the
Kingpin Act.
Today’s action would not have been
possible without the support of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). “In
order to put organizations like the Sinaloa Cartel out of business, we must
continue to utilize every tool available to ensure that these criminal groups
and their associates cannot exploit the U.S. financial system,” said DEA Chief
of Financial Operations John Arvanitis. “DEA is attacking the Sinaloa Cartel
and other organizations at every level like never before, so they are put out
of business and their leaders are brought to justice.”
OFAC is designating Ivan Archivaldo
Guzman Salazar and Ovidio Guzman Lopez for their roles in their father’s drug
trafficking organization and the Sinaloa Cartel. In 2005, Mexican authorities
arrested Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar on money laundering charges, but he was
later released. Ovidio Guzman Lopez also plays a significant role in his
father’s drug trafficking activities. Noel Salgueiro Nevarez is the head of the
Sinaloa Cartel in the Mexican state of Chihuahua where a bloody turf war has
claimed the lives of thousands. Mexican authorities arrested him in October
2011, and he remains in Mexican custody. Ovidio Limon Sanchez, also currently
in Mexican custody, is a major operative for the Sinaloa Cartel in Sinaloa
state. He was arrested in November 2011 by Mexican authorities. Additionally,
in 2009, a jury in the U.S. District for the Central District of California
returned an indictment against Ovidio Limon Sanchez, charging him with multiple
counts of drug trafficking.
“OFAC will aggressively target those
individuals who facilitate Chapo Guzman’s drug trafficking operations,
including family members,” said OFAC Director Adam J. Szubin. “With the
Government of Mexico, we are firm in our resolve to dismantle Chapo Guzman’s
drug trafficking organization.”
Joaquin Guzman Loera and the Sinaloa
Cartel were previously identified by the President as significant foreign
narcotics traffickers pursuant to the Kingpin Act in 2001 and 2009,
respectively.
Internationally, OFAC has designated
more than 1,000 businesses and individuals linked to 94 drug kingpins since
June 2000. Penalties for violations of the Kingpin Act range from civil penalties
of up to $1.075 million per violation to more severe criminal penalties.
Criminal penalties for corporate officers may include up to 30 years in prison
and fines up to $5 million. Criminal fines for corporations may reach $10
million. Other individuals could face up to 10 years in prison and fines
pursuant to Title 18 of the United States Code for criminal violations of the
Kingpin Act.
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