U.S. Designates Sinaloa Cartel as Foreign Terrorist Organization, Freezes Assets
The U.S. government has taken significant action against the Sinaloa Cartel, designating it as one of the 10 Western Hemisphere criminal groups considered foreign terrorist organizations. This move freezes all U.S.-based assets of the individuals and companies linked to the cartel and blocks U.S. transactions with them.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned eight Mexicans and 12 Mexico-based companies linked to the Los Chapitos faction of the Sinaloa Cartel. Los Chapitos, led by the four sons of Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman Loera, is a powerful faction within the Sinaloa Cartel. Two of its members are currently in U.S. federal custody.
Among the sanctioned individuals is Martha Emilia Conde Uraga, a chemical broker who supplies precursor chemicals to drug traffickers and lab operators for the Los Chapitos faction. One of the sanctioned companies, Sumilab, is run by the Favela López family and supplies precursor chemicals for the Sinaloa Cartel's fentanyl production. The Favela López family operates a network of chemical, laboratory equipment, and agriculture-related companies, seven of which were sanctioned. The U.S. government considers these actions as part of its 'armed conflict' against drug cartels.
The U.S. government's designation of the Sinaloa Cartel as a foreign terrorist organization and the subsequent sanctions against its members and associated companies aim to disrupt the cartel's operations and limit its access to resources. Meanwhile, Mexico's President Claudia Sheimbaum has ruled out the possibility of U.S. military targeting Mexican cartels on Mexican soil.
