Following OFAC Sanctions on Sinaloa Cartel Networks, Mexico Announces Investigation
· Telemundo McAllen (KTLM)
Mexico's Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF) announced on Wednesday that it is investigating 12 individuals and two legal entities identified by Washington for their ties to the Sinaloa Cartel. The UIF conducted a financial, tax, and corporate analysis to identify potential networks or operations involving illicit funds. In a statement, the agency under Mexico's Ministry of Finance reported that it is 'strengthening' actions against these individuals, who were sanctioned by the U.S. Department of the Treasury through the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) for their connections to fentanyl trafficking and criminal groups associated with the Sinaloa Cartel, also known as the Pacific Cartel. 'Coordinated actions between Mexican and U.S. authorities enhance international cooperation mechanisms to prevent the misuse of the financial system, combat money laundering, and weaken the financial structures of organized crime,' the federal agency stated. The UIF's announcement follows OFAC's sanctions against more than 12 individuals and entities linked to the Sinaloa Cartel and its fentanyl trafficking operations into the United States. The two criminal structures are led by Armando de Jesús Ojeda Avilés, who heads a network dedicated to laundering money from fentanyl and other illicit drugs, and Jesús González Peñuelas, a fugitive who leads an organization with a long history of drug trafficking into the U.S. and money laundering for the cartel. The UIF reiterated its 'permanent coordination' with international authorities to 'protect the integrity of the financial system and mitigate risks associated with operations involving illicit funds.' This is not the first time OFAC has sanctioned individuals or businesses related to criminal organizations like the Sinaloa Cartel.
AI summary · Source: Telemundo McAllen (KTLM) →
