“Sol Prendido” for Borderland Beat
All accounts and resources of these ten individuals within the US financial system were frozen, in addition to prohibiting any US citizen from engaging in business with these individuals.
The U.S. Treasury Department, through its Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), sanctioned 9 people, members of the Los Chapitos cell, and a Colombian, leader of the Gulf Clan, for their role in international trafficking operations of drugs such as fentanyl and cocaine.
The first individual named is Jorge Humberto Figueroa Benítez, a Mexican national who heads up security for Los Chapitos’ drug trafficking operations, coordinates shipments of fentanyl and directs a group of cartel hitmen.
Brothers Leobardo and Martin Garcia Corrales, both affiliated with Los Chapitos and accused of producing methamphetamine and fentanyl on Mexican soil. They are also identified as traffickers of firearms and military equipment into Mexico.
According to US authorities, they are close to Joaquín El Chapo Guzmán and Ismael El Mayo Zambada.Liborio Núñez Aguirre, Samuel León Alvarado and Carlos Mario Limón Vázquez, operators of clandestine synthetic opioid laboratories for subsequent trafficking to the United States.
Mario Alberto Jimenez Castro, dedicated to laundering money for Los Chapitos through the use of cryptocurrencies and money transfers, mostly derived from the proceeds of fentanyl sales in the United States. According to investigations, he directed various cartel affiliates in the US to deposit cash into virtual wallets controlled by Los Chapitos.
Julio César Domínguez Hernández, in charge of coordinating the sale and collection of profits from the sale of drugs such as methamphetamine and cocaine in the US.
Jesús Miguel Vibanco García, brother-in-law of Domínguez Hernández, distributor of fentanyl in the US and Canada from Vancouver, from where he operates the criminal business.
Jobanis de Jesús Ávila Villadiego, known as Chiquito Malo and leader of the Clan del Golfo, in Colombia, accused of supplying cocaine to several cartels, including the Sinaloa cartel, and for ordering aggressions against Colombian security forces after the arrest and extradition of Dairo Antonio Úsuga David, Otoniel, the top leader of the criminal organization, in May 2022.
As they were designated by OFAC, all accounts and resources of these ten individuals within the U.S. financial system were frozen, in addition to prohibiting any U.S. citizen from engaging in business with these individuals.
The first seven members of Los Chapitos are also accused of various crimes such as money laundering, possession of firearms and drug trafficking in the United States.