By Raul Castillo
Jun 20, 2024, 10:09 PM EDT
The United States Department of the Treasury, through the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), sanctioned eight people affiliated with the La Nueva Familia Michoacana drug cartel in Mexico. These individuals are accused of trafficking fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine into the United States.
In addition to narcotics, the cartel is also dedicated to smuggling immigrants from Mexico to the United States, according to a statement from the Treasury Department.
“The opioid crisis, especially the rise of synthetic opioids like fentanyl, has devastated communities and claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of Americans,” said Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen. “President Biden and I are committed to using every tool we have to attack illicit fentanyl and its chemical precursors so we can disrupt these deadly supply chains.”
The cartel is identified by the Treasury Department as one of the most powerful and violent in Mexico. In recent years, he has become a priority target for the Mexican government due to his criminal activities, the statement said.
“Historically, La Nueva Familia Michoacana primarily trafficked methamphetamine. However, in recent years, it has expanded into fentanyl trafficking, obtaining the necessary precursor chemicals, purchasing critical pill pressing machines and then producing fentanyl throughout Mexico,” they say.
They detail that the cartel sends fentanyl and other drugs to the United States through Nuevo Laredo and Tamaulipas/Reynosa, using buses and other means of transportation. Once in the United States, the drugs are distributed to cities such as Atlanta, Houston, Dallas, Tulsa, Chicago and Charlotte, according to the statement.
Yellen also emphasized the importance of Treasury’s unique capabilities and expertise in attacking the financial flows of these cartels. “Treasury has unique capabilities and expertise to target the financial flows of these cartels that are poisoning our communities, and pursuing them is a top priority for me and the Department,” she said.
human trafficking
The Nueva Familia Michoacana is also involved in human trafficking. According to the statement, members of the cartel use photographs and videos of people at risk to falsely justify their need for asylum in the United States. Additionally, they force individuals to enter the country illegally with drugs under threats of violence.
The Treasury Department statement mentions Rodolfo Maldonado Bustos, Kevin Arzate Gómez and Euclides Camacho Goicochea as designated for their participation in activities related to the international proliferation of illicit drugs.
Other appointees include Josué Ramírez Carrera, Josué López Hernández, David Durán Álvarez, Uriel Tabares Martínez and Lucio Ochoa Lagunes, who are directly linked to La Nueva Familia Michoacana.
As a result of these sanctions, all property and interests in property of designated persons in the United States are blocked and must be reported to OFAC. Entities owned by blocked people are also blocked.
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