Specially Designated Narcotics Trafficking Kingpin [SDNTK] Entries Added to OFAC's SDN List on May 7, 2013
Today, OFAC has added [SDNTK] Entries to the Specially Designated Nationals List (SDN List):
The following [SDNTK] entries have been added to OFAC's SDN List list:
CASTRO VILLA, Luis Fernando (a.k.a. FLORES PACHECO, Cenobio; a.k.a. "CHECO"; a.k.a. "CHEKO"); DOB 13 Nov 1974; citizen Mexico (individual) [SDNTK].
FLORES PACHECO, Cenobio (a.k.a. CASTRO VILLA, Luis Fernando; a.k.a. "CHECO"; a.k.a. "CHEKO"); DOB 13 Nov 1974; citizen Mexico (individual) [SDNTK].
LOPEZ AISPURO, Armando; DOB 27 Oct 1969; POB Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico; citizen Mexico (individual) [SDNTK].
NIEBLA GONZALEZ, Adelmo (a.k.a. NIEBLAS NAVA, Guillermo; a.k.a. "EL M"; a.k.a. "EL MEMO"); DOB 21 Dec 1958; citizen Mexico (individual) [SDNTK].
NIEBLAS NAVA, Guillermo (a.k.a. NIEBLA GONZALEZ, Adelmo; a.k.a. "EL M"; a.k.a. "EL MEMO"); DOB 21 Dec 1958; citizen Mexico (individual) [SDNTK].
PAEZ SOTO, Ramon Ignacio (a.k.a. "EL MORENO"; a.k.a. "PAEZ Nachillo"; a.k.a. "PAEZ, Nacho"); DOB 31 Jul 1973; POB Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico; citizen Mexico (individual) [SDNTK].
RASCON RAMIREZ, Jose Javier (a.k.a. "EL KHADAFI"); DOB 24 Jul 1966; citizen Mexico (individual) [SDNTK].
SABORI CISNEROS, Raul (a.k.a. "EL NEGRO"); DOB 07 Jul 1963; POB Baja California Norte, Mexico; citizen Mexico (individual) [SDNTK].
SALAZAR RAMIREZ, Jesus Alfredo (a.k.a. "INDIO"; a.k.a. "MUNE"); DOB 24 Mar 1974; POB Chihuahua, Mexico; citizen Mexico (individual) [SDNTK].
SOSA CANISALES, Felipe de Jesus (a.k.a. "EL GIGIO"; a.k.a. "GIO"); DOB 16 Jul 1968; citizen Mexico (individual) [SDNTK].
"CHECO" (a.k.a. CASTRO VILLA, Luis Fernando; a.k.a. FLORES PACHECO, Cenobio; a.k.a. "CHEKO"); DOB 13 Nov 1974; citizen Mexico (individual) [SDNTK].
"CHEKO" (a.k.a. CASTRO VILLA, Luis Fernando; a.k.a. FLORES PACHECO, Cenobio; a.k.a. "CHECO"); DOB 13 Nov 1974; citizen Mexico (individual) [SDNTK].
"EL GIGIO" (a.k.a. SOSA CANISALES, Felipe de Jesus; a.k.a. "GIO"); DOB 16 Jul 1968; citizen Mexico (individual) [SDNTK].
"EL KHADAFI" (a.k.a. RASCON RAMIREZ, Jose Javier); DOB 24 Jul 1966; citizen Mexico (individual) [SDNTK].
"EL M" (a.k.a. NIEBLA GONZALEZ, Adelmo; a.k.a. NIEBLAS NAVA, Guillermo; a.k.a. "EL MEMO"); DOB 21 Dec 1958; citizen Mexico (individual) [SDNTK].
"EL MEMO" (a.k.a. NIEBLA GONZALEZ, Adelmo; a.k.a. NIEBLAS NAVA, Guillermo; a.k.a. "EL M"); DOB 21 Dec 1958; citizen Mexico (individual) [SDNTK].
"EL MORENO" (a.k.a. PAEZ SOTO, Ramon Ignacio; a.k.a. "PAEZ Nachillo"; a.k.a. "PAEZ, Nacho"); DOB 31 Jul 1973; POB Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico; citizen Mexico (individual) [SDNTK].
"EL NEGRO" (a.k.a. SABORI CISNEROS, Raul); DOB 07 Jul 1963; POB Baja California Norte, Mexico; citizen Mexico (individual) [SDNTK].
"GIO" (a.k.a. SOSA CANISALES, Felipe de Jesus; a.k.a. "EL GIGIO"); DOB 16 Jul 1968; citizen Mexico (individual) [SDNTK].
"INDIO" (a.k.a. SALAZAR RAMIREZ, Jesus Alfredo; a.k.a. "MUNE"); DOB 24 Mar 1974; POB Chihuahua, Mexico; citizen Mexico (individual) [SDNTK].
"MUNE" (a.k.a. SALAZAR RAMIREZ, Jesus Alfredo; a.k.a. "INDIO"); DOB 24 Mar 1974; POB Chihuahua, Mexico; citizen Mexico (individual) [SDNTK].
"PAEZ Nachillo" (a.k.a. PAEZ SOTO, Ramon Ignacio; a.k.a. "EL MORENO"; a.k.a. "PAEZ, Nacho"); DOB 31 Jul 1973; POB Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico; citizen Mexico (individual) [SDNTK].
"PAEZ, Nacho" (a.k.a. PAEZ SOTO, Ramon Ignacio; a.k.a. "EL MORENO"; a.k.a. "PAEZ Nachillo"); DOB 31 Jul 1973; POB Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico; citizen Mexico (individual) [SDNTK].
"Treasury Designates Sinaloa Cartel Plaza Bosses
Action Targets Critical Drug Trafficking Corridor along the Arizona-Mexico Border
Controlled by the Sinaloa Cartel
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) today announced the designation of eight Mexican nationals as Specially Designated Narcotics Traffickers (SDNT) pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (Kingpin Act). The eight individuals, Cenobio Flores Pacheco (a.k.a. "Luis Fernando Castro Villa"), Jesus Alfredo Salazar Ramirez, Guillermo Nieblas Nava (a.k.a. "Adelmo Niebla Gonzalez"), Ramon Ignacio Paez Soto, Felipe De Jesus Sosa Canisales, Armando Lopez Aispuro, Jose Javier Rascon Ramirez, and Raul Sabori Cisneros, all operate as plaza bosses for the Sinaloa Cartel.
Each of the eight plaza bosses operates as a Sinaloa Cartel leader within their specific area of operation along the Sonora-Arizona corridor of the U.S.-Mexico International Boundary, which extends for nearly 375 miles. The Sinaloa Cartel depends on the plaza bosses, leaders of a particular geographic area, along the corridor to coordinate, direct, and support the smuggling of illegal drugs from Mexico into the U.S. and the smuggling of illicit contraband from the U.S. into Mexico. Plaza bosses rely on violence to maintain their positions, using sicarios (hitmen) to control a specific geographic area. Since Arizona is contiguous with the U.S.-Mexico International Boundary, the Tucson and Phoenix metropolitan areas are major trans-shipment and distribution points for contraband smuggling out of and into Sonora, Mexico.
"Today's designation marks another step in OFAC's efforts to specifically target the narcotics traffickers responsible for the horrific acts of violence committed along the Arizona border with Mexico," said OFAC Director Adam J. Szubin. "We will continue to work alongside our partners in federal law enforcement as well as the Mexican Government to financially cripple and dismantle the Sinaloa Cartel."
The eight individuals designated today work on behalf of Joaquin "Chapo" Guzman Loera, and Ismael "Mayo" Zambada Garcia — the leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel – as well as Gonzalo Inzunza Inzunza "Macho Prieto," a top lieutenant of the Sinaloa Cartel. Mexican authorities have previously arrested Jesus Alfredo Salazar Ramirez, Ramon Ignacio Paez Soto, and Raul Sabori Cisneros. Today's action generally prohibits U.S. persons from conducting financial or commercial transactions with these designees, and also freezes any assets they may have under U.S. jurisdiction.
Today's action would not have been possible without the support of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Joint Field Command-Arizona, U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Diplomatic Security, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Mexican authorities also provided essential support to OFAC.
"CBP's Arizona Joint Field Command Targeting Enforcement Unit played a major role in dealing the Sinaloa-based drug cartel a financial blow that will undoubtedly affect their ability to operate as a criminal enterprise. The Arizona Joint Field Command's Targeting Enforcement Unit has been and will continue to be a committed partner in the collective effort of denying, degrading and disrupting operations of criminal organizations," said Jeff Self, Commander, CBP, Joint Field Command-Arizona.
"Diplomatic Security Service special agents worked in concert with our federal law enforcement partners to uncover evidence vital to designate these dangerous narcotics traffickers," said Wes Weller, Special Agent in Charge of the DSS Los Angeles Field Office. "The traffickers threaten the safety and security of Americans along the Arizona border with Mexico, and must be brought to justice."
"In order to put organizations like the Sinaloa Cartel out of business, we must continue to utilize every tool available to ensure that these criminal groups and their associates cannot exploit the U.S. financial system," said DEA Special Agent in Charge Doug Coleman. "Today's actions severely curtail the Sinaloa Cartel's ability to use legitimate commerce to mask their illicit money laundering activities and reflect DEA's global efforts to weaken its leadership and bring it to justice."
Since June 2000 the President has identified 97 drug kingpins and OFAC has designated more than 1,200 businesses and individuals. Penalties for violations of the Kingpin Act range from civil penalties of up to $1.075 million per violation to more severe criminal penalties. Criminal penalties for corporate officers may include up to 30 years in prison and fines of up to $5 million. Criminal fines for corporations may reach $10 million. Other individuals face up to 10 years in prison and fines for criminal violation of the Kingpin Act pursuant to Title 18 of the United States Code.
To view a chart of the Sinaloa Plaza Bosses' organization, click here."
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Treasury's OFAC Designates Alleged Honduran Drug Traffickers
U.S. Department of the Treasury on April 9, 2013 released the following:
"Action Targets Honduran Link to Colombian and Mexican Narcotics Operations
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control ("OFAC") today announced the designation of Honduran national Jose Miguel Handal Perez (a.k.a. "Chepe Handal"), as a Specially Designated Narcotics Trafficker ("SDNT") pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act ("Kingpin Act"). Also designated today are Handal's wife, Ena Elizabeth Hernandez Amaya; his father, Jose Miguel Handal Larach; and several of Handal's companies located in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. Companies designated today include Corporación Handal, which is comprised of various business ventures including a general merchandise and auto parts store, Supertiendas & Autopartes Handal, JM Troya, a motorcycle brand, and Cleopatra's, a clothing store. Today's actions generally prohibit U.S. persons from conducting financial or commercial transactions with these designees, and also freeze any assets they may have under U.S. jurisdiction.
Chepe Handal is the head of a Honduran-based drug trafficking organization ("DTO") responsible for the coordination and distribution of multi-ton shipments of cocaine from Colombian sources of supply into Honduras. These supplies are distributed to Mexican DTOs, including the Sinaloa Cartel and Los Zetas, led respectively by Joaquin "Chapo" Guzman Loera and Miguel Trevino Morales. Handal invests in and coordinates the receipt of drug-laden aircraft departing from Apure, Venezuela into Honduras via clandestine airstrips. He also facilities the movement of these drug shipments out of Honduras by land to Guatemala, where members of Los Zetas and the Sinaloa Cartel take possession.
"Chepe Handal plays a critical role in the transportation and distribution of drug shipments between South America and the Sinaloa Cartel and Los Zetas," said OFAC Director Adam J. Szubin. "Today's action underscores OFAC's commitment to targeting and disrupting key facilitators of the drug trade wherever they may be."
On March 3, 2011, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida indicted Chepe Handal with one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine with knowledge that it will be unlawfully imported into the United States.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Miami Field Division, Special Agent in Charge Mark R. Trouville stated, "Freezing the assets of international drug traffickers like Chepe Handal is akin to taking the weapons from their trafficking arsenal. Chepe Handal will be brought to justice and his criminal enterprise dismantled."
Today's action would not have been possible without the support of the DEA and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida. Since June 2000 OFAC has identified 97 drug kingpins and designated more than 1,200 businesses and individuals. Penalties for violations of the Kingpin Act range from civil penalties of up to $1.075 million per violation to more severe criminal penalties. Criminal penalties for corporate officers may include up to 30 years in prison and fines of up to $5 million. Criminal fines for corporations may reach $10 million. Other individuals face up to 10 years in prison and fines for criminal violation of the Kingpin Act pursuant to Title 18 of the United States Code.
To view a chart of the Chepe Handal organization, click here"
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