The Trump administration on Thursday sanctioned Mexican nationals and entities linked to the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion over a "slew of criminal activities," including fentanyl trafficking.
The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control issued the sanctions over the hundreds of millions generated by CJNG through fuel theft and the smuggling of crude oil as well, it said.
"Fuel theft and crude oil smuggling are cash cows for CJNG's narco-terrorist enterprise, providing a lucrative revenue stream for the group and enabling it to wreak havoc in Mexico and the United States," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in the release.
CJNG is a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization and Specially Designated Global Terrorist.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control announced it sanctioned Cesar Morfin Morfin, CJNG cell leader for Tamaulipas, Mexico; his older brother Alvaro Noe Morfin Morfin, involved in narcotics trafficking; and younger brother Remigio Morfin Morfin, who operates in Hidalgo, Mexico.
The office also designated two hazardous materials transportation companies for engaging in the transportation of fuel and crude oil between Mexico and the United States.
In September nine Mexican nationals were sanctioned, including senior CJNG member Ivan Cazarin Molina, and 26 Mexico-based entities linked, directly or indirectly, to CJNG's fuel theft activities.
"As a result of today's action, all property and interests in property of the designated persons described above that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC. In addition, any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, individually or in the aggregate, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked," Treasury said in a statement.
The office coordinated sanctions with the Drug Enforcement Administration; Homeland Security Investigations; Federal Bureau of Investigation; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; FinCEN; and the Government of Mexico, including La Unidad de Inteligencia Financiera, Mexico's financial intelligence unit.