The United States Department of the Treasury announced this Tuesday the imposition of sanctions against two Mexican citizens and nine companies that, according to Washington, maintain ties with the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), which U.S. authorities consider a terrorist organization.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has justified the measure by concluding that those designated participate in "a fuel theft scheme related to the CJNG, which includes cross-border smuggling, falsification of customs documents, and shell companies, to evade Mexican taxes and generate tens of millions of dollars a year for the cartel."
Among the targets of the sanctions is a man identified as Óscar Juraidini, whom the Treasury describes as "a key figure in the business world who facilitates the CJNG's fuel theft network," along with seven companies linked to him: Centro Cambiario La Peseta, OJ Living Trust, RK Real King, Soma Transporte y Servicios, Ogui Fletes, OF Transportes, and Cucumber Sweet Waves, the latter based in the United Kingdom.
Likewise, OFAC has extended sanctions to another individual, J. Refugio Ruiz, and to two companies through which he introduces "smuggled fuel from the United States to Mexico" by paying bribes to criminal groups that control the border crossings between the two countries: Jomadi Logistics & Cargo and Ahavat Logistics Solutions.
The Treasury adds, citing data from the Attorney General's Office of Mexico, that Ruiz has used these companies to carry out "transactions through the U.S. financial system for tens of millions of dollars with third parties linked to the CJNG who have participated in drug trafficking-related activities."