U.S. imposes sanctions on Mexican cartels linked to drug trafficking and fuel theft network
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Trump administration imposed economic sanctions on Thursday on three Mexican nationals and two Mexican entities involved in drug trafficking and fuel theft networks linked to Mexico's new generation of Jalisco's new generation of cartels.
It is one of Mexico's most powerful cartels, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency says its team has about 19,000 members. After the killing of Sinaloa Cartel in 2010, Cartel quickly developed into a force of extreme violence after the split from Sinaloa Cartel.
New sanctions on Jalisco's new generation, including top member Cesar Morfin Morfin and his brothers Alvaro Noe Morfin and Remigio Morfin Morfin, the organization's fuel theft network. The Treasury Department said the network has caused tens of millions of dollars in revenue to the Mexican government and funded the flow of illegal fentanyl into the United States.
Sanctions freeze any assets owned by an individual or a company in the United States and prohibit U.S. citizens from doing business with them.
The U.S. government blames the battle on tens of thousands of excess deaths each year.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement that his department “will continue to use all available tools to ruthlessly target drug cartels and foreign terrorist organizations to keep the United States safe again.”
National Border Patrol Chairman Paul Anthony Perez said the sanctions “will ensure that the cartel no longer has the ability to provide unlimited funds to facilitate its criminal businesses and allow the U.S. government to “undermine its daily activities on both sides of the border.”
In February, the government appointed Jalisco's new generation as a foreign terrorist organization and specifically designated global terrorists. Thursday's action was eight actions taken by the Trump Treasury Department against the cartel. The Biden administration has also imposed sanctions on Jalisco's new generation team.
The cartel is led by Nemesio Rubén “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes. Washington offered a $15 million reward for capturing his information.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum was asked about Tuesday's fight against fuel theft and smuggling and said her party in Congress was working to strengthen the government's tools to be “traceable” in fuel transport.
“So any tanker truck carrying fuel, no matter what type, we know: its arrival; if imported, what the import license does, where it goes, where it stores it, and which service station to use from there,” Sheinbaum said. “If the tanker steals fuel from the pipeline and parks on the highway, the source of that fuel must be shown; if not, it is illegal.”
The White House linked fentanyl to President Donald Trump's tariff plan, saying he “wanted to put Mexico, Canada and China accountable for their commitment to stop illegal immigration and stop toxic fentanyl and other drugs.”
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Sherman reported from Mexico City.
