US sanctions members of Mexican fentanyl trafficking organization

The United States on Thursday sanctioned five people and two entities linked to La Línea, a violent Mexico-based drug trafficking organization responsible for trafficking fentanyl and other deadly drugs into Washington.

The measure was announced by the United States Department of the Treasury, which indicated that the action was closely coordinated with the Anti-Drug Agency (DEA) and the Government of Mexico, including the Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF).

Among those sanctioned are Josefa Yadira Carrasco Leyva, considered a high-ranking member of La Línea who is involved in drug trafficking, human trafficking and weapons smuggling.

Also sanctioned was Jorge Adrián Ortega Gallegos, who was previously indicted in the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico on drug conspiracy charges.

Likewise Heber Nieto Fierro, who is accused of being a drug trafficker and money launderer for La Línea. Nieto Fierro also owns or controls several companies sanctioned this Thursday.

Likewise, Jesús Salas Aguayo, an associate of La Línea who controls a plaza in Chihuahua, Mexico, and Adrián Aguayo, another associate of La Línea, were sanctioned.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Carrasco Leyva, Ortega Gallegos, Nieto Fierro, Salas Aguayo and Adrián Aguayo in accordance with Law 14059, for having participated or attempted to participate in illicit drug activities or transactions or their means of production.

The sanctioned companies

OFAC sanctioned Ry H. El Remate, Sociedad Anónima de Capital Variable, and Soluciones Tecnológica y Packageria Tres, Sociedad Anónima de Capital Variable, for being owned, controlled or directed directly or indirectly by Nieto Fierro.

Over the past two years, Treasury has sanctioned more than 350 targets for their involvement in drug trafficking activities at all stages of the supply chain, from top cartel leaders to laboratories, transportation networks and chemical suppliers. that go unnoticed.

La Línea began as an armed wing of the Juárez Cartel intended to help the drug trafficking organization defend its border territories in and around Ciudad Juárez in the state of Chihuahua, Mexico.

According to the US Treasury, today La Línea operates in Ciudad Juárez, where it has access to drug and human trafficking routes across the US-Mexico border.

Implications

According to the US Treasury, as a result of today’s action, all property and interests in property of the designated persons described above that are located in the United States or in the possession or control of US persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC.

Additionally, any entity that is owned, directly or indirectly, individually or jointly, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons is also blocked.

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