Dos operadores financieros de Los Zetas en la lista negra de OFAC

Washington DC designó este martes 23 de julio a dos mexicanos señalados como operadores financieros del grupo  delictivo de Los Zetas como sujetos a acciones de bloqueo y decomiso de bienes ubicados bajo su jurisdicción.

 Con esta decisión, el Departamento del Tesoro podría decomisar hasta 20 millones de dólares a uno de los dos presuntos narcotraficantes identificado como José Odilón Ramírez Perales, quien enfrenta cargos de lavado de dinero en una corte federal de Texas.

 Junto con él, la Oficina de Control de Bienes Extranjeros (OFAC) del Departamento del Tesoro designó también como sujeto de estas acciones a Ismael López Guerrero.

 Las designaciones de ambos individuos se hicieron al amparo de la ley de Designación de Narcotraficantes Extranjeros conocida como la ley Kingpin.

Ambos sospechosos se encuentran bajo custodia de las autoridades mexicanas después de sus arrestos en operaciones separadas.

Ramírez Perales fue detenido en Coahuila durante un operativo en octubre de 2012, en el que también fueron capturados tres individuos más.

 De acuerdo con OFAC , López Guerrero era el encargado de colectar las ilícitas ganancias de los Zetas en la localidad fronteriza de Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas.

 Los fondos eran trasladados posteriormente a Coahuila para su resguardo a cargo de Ramírez Perales, quien de acuerdo con las autoridades estadunidenses fue responsable del lavado de “decenas de millones de dólares”.

 El director de la OFAC, Adam J. Szubin, calificó la designación como una significativa acción con la que se espera debilitar aún más la estructura financiera de los Zetas.

 Dijo que la reciente captura del líder de los Zetas, Miguel Ángel Treviño Morales, junto con dos miembros más del grupo, incluyendo su contador, “es un claro ejemplo de la importancia de los operadores financieros dentro de la estructura operativa de los cárteles de las drogas”.

Comunicado:

Treasury Sanctions Financial Operatives Linked to Los Zetas

 7/23/2013

Action Targets Individuals Laundering Money for Trevino Morales

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of the Treasury today designated two Mexican nationals, Jose Odilon Ramirez Perales and Ismael Lopez Guerrero, pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (Kingpin Act) for their ties to Mexico’s violent Los Zetas drug trafficking organization.  Ramirez Perales is a powerful financial operative responsible for controlling and laundering tens of millions of dollars in funds smuggled from the U.S. to Mexico for Los Zetas leaders Miguel Trevino Morales and Omar Trevino Morales.  Lopez Guerrero collects illicit monies from Los Zetas operations in Nuevo Laredo, and he sends large quantities of smuggled cash to Ramirez Perales for safeguarding and processing in Coahuila, Mexico.

“The momentous arrest of Miguel Trevino Morales, who was captured last week, took place in the early morning hours with two of his closest advisors by his side, including a key accountant. This is another clear example of the central importance of financial operatives within the operational structure of drug cartels,” said Treasury’s Director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) Adam J. Szubin. “Treasury’s action today targets the activities of two other significant financial operatives for Los Zetas.  We will continue to support our Mexican partners to target those laundering Los Zetas’ ill-gotten gains.”

 Ramirez Perales is wanted in the Southern District of Texas for money laundering relating to drug trafficking.  Ramirez Perales and his other co-defendants are subject to the forfeiture of approximately $20 million in the Southern District of Texas.  In October 2012, Mexican authorities captured Ramirez Perales, and they arrested Lopez Guerrero after a July 2012 gun battle.  Lopez Guerrero, who uses the alias Gilberto Godina Guerrero, was alleged to possess ammunition, drugs, and currency at the time of his arrest. The arrests of these individuals and other high level Los Zetas members such as Miguel Trevino Morales, along with the death of former Zeta leader Heriberto Lazcano-Lazcano, has played a vital role in weakening of the organization.

 Today’s action generally prohibits U.S. persons from engaging in any transactions with these individuals and freezes any assets they may have under U.S. jurisdiction.

 The President identified Los Zetas as a significant foreign narcotics trafficker pursuant to the Kingpin Act in April 2009.  On July 24, 2011, the President named Los Zetas as a significant Transnational Criminal Organization in the Annex to Executive Order 13581 (Blocking Property of Transnational Criminal Organizations).  Additionally, OFAC designated Los Zetas leaders Miguel and Omar Trevino Morales on July 20, 2009 and March 24, 2010, respectively.  Since 2009, OFAC has designated several dozen key plaza bosses, drug traffickers, and money launderers operating on behalf of Los Zetas using Kingpin Act authorities.

 Internationally, OFAC has designated more than 1,200 individuals and entities linked to 103 drug kingpins since June 2000.  OFAC designations are part of an ongoing effort to apply financial measures against significant foreign narcotics traffickers and their organizations worldwide.  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 up to $5 million.  Criminal fines for corporations may reach $10 million.  Other individuals face up to 10 years in prison and fines pursuant to Title 18 of the United States Code for criminal violations of the Kingpin Act.