Este jueves 27 de febrero el Departamento del Tesoro norteamericano impone sanciones financieras a siete personas y 10
empresas, entre ellas varias colombianas, acusadas de tener vínculos con el
cártel del Pacifico.
La
Oficina de Control de Bienes a Extranjeros (OFAC) informó que sancionará a Hugo
Cuéllar Hurtado, quién trafica drogas desde hace décadas y trabajó para el
cártel de Medellín antes de proveer cocaína a la gente de El Chapo a fines de
los 90.
La
misma dependencia anunció acciones de decomiso y aseguramiento de bienes contra
un colombiano identificado como un importante abastecedor de cocaína de Juan
José Esparragoza Moreno, El Azul, uno de los líderes del cártel de Sinaloa.
Junto
a Cuéllar Hurtado, el Departamento del Tesoro nombró a seis personas más, todos
familiares de éste, además de una docena de negocios en ambos países, todos los
cuales quedaron sujetos a acciones de decomiso y aseguramiento por parte de
autoridades estadunidenses.
El
resto de los designados son su esposa Ofelia Margarita Miramontes Gutiérrez,
sus hijos John Fredy Cuellar Silva, Jenny Johanna Cuéllar Silva, Víctor Hugo
Cuéllar Silva, su nuera Gabriela
Amarillas López, además de Lucy Amparo Vargas Núñez, quien maneja sus
bienes en Colombia.
Los negocios sujetos a estas acciones
identificados por la OFAC incluyen entre otros Agrícola y Ganadera Cuemir y
Cooperativa Avestruz Cuemir, en el estado mexicano de Jalisco, además de Agro y
Comercio de Santa Bárbara Lagromer y la Compañía Agro Comercial Cueta, en
Colombia.
Treasury
Sanctions Key Sinaloa Cartel Network
Action
Targets Colombian-Mexican Narco Trafficking Network
WASHINGTON
– The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)
today announced the designation of Hugo Cuellar Hurtado, a dual
Colombian-Mexican national, for his material support to the narcotics
trafficking activities of the Sinaloa Cartel and one of the organization’s
leaders, Juan Jose Esparragoza Moreno (a.k.a. El Azul), pursuant to the Foreign
Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (Kingpin Act). Six other individuals and ten entities linked
to Cuellar Hurtado were also designated.
As a result of today’s action, all property and interests in property in
the United States, or in the possession or control of U.S. persons in which the
individuals and entities designated today have an interest, are blocked, and
U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with them.
The
President identified Esparragoza Moreno and the Sinaloa Cartel as significant
foreign narcotics traffickers pursuant to the Kingpin Act in 2003 and 2009,
respectively. Esparragoza Moreno was
indicted on drug trafficking charges in the U.S. District Court for the Western
District of Texas in 2003 and is wanted in both the U.S. and Mexico. On February 22, 2014, Mexican authorities
captured Joaquin Guzman Loera (a.k.a. El Chapo) – the reputed leader of the
Sinaloa Cartel and considered to be among the most wanted criminals in the
world. Guzman Loera was identified by
the President as a significant foreign narcotics trafficker pursuant to the
Kingpin Act in 2001.
“Mexican
authorities achieved a major victory with the capture of Chapo Guzman. Building on this success, OFAC will continue
targeting the finances and operations of the Sinaloa Cartel and its other
leaders, including Esparragoza Moreno,” said OFAC Director Adam J. Szubin. “Today’s action marks the next step in this
effort by targeting Hugo Cuellar Hurtado, who poses as a businessman involved
in enterprises ranging from ostrich farming to pawn shops. In reality, Cuellar Hurtado is a longtime
criminal who supports illicit drug trafficking activities and promotes organized
crime.”
Cuellar
Hurtado has been engaged in drug trafficking activities for decades. He previously worked for the Medellín drug
cartel and shipped cocaine to the United States through Mexico. In the late 1990s, Cuellar Hurtado began
living part time in Mexico and eventually began supplying cocaine to the
Sinaloa Cartel.
Today’s
designation also targets six other individuals, including five of Cuellar
Hurtado’s family members. John Fredy
Cuellar Silva, the son of Cuellar Hurtado, acts on his father’s behalf and is
also providing support to the Sinaloa Cartel’s drug trafficking
activities. The other family members
were designated today because they act on behalf of Cuellar Hurtado and/or John
Fredy Cuellar Silva: Ofelia Margarita
Miramontes Gutierrez (Cuellar Hurtado’s current wife), Jenny Johanna Cuellar
Silva (Cuellar Hurtado’s daughter), Victor Hugo Cuellar Silva (Cuellar
Hurtado’s son), and Gabriela Amarillas Lopez (Cuellar Hurtado’s
daughter-in-law). Also designated today
is Lucy Amparo Vargas Nunez, who manages Cuellar Hurtado’s assets in Colombia.
The
entities designated today include four Mexican companies. Agricola y Ganadera Cuemir and Cooperativa
Avestruz Cuemir are located in Tlajomulco de Zuniga, Jalisco, which is near
Guadalajara. These companies are engaged
in ostrich farming and the breeding of Friesian horses. Casa de Empeno Guadalajara (a.k.a. Empenos
Prestafacil) and Prenda Todo (a.k.a. Casa de Empeno Prenda Todo) are both pawn
shop companies in Guadalajara.
Further,
six Colombian companies were also designated.
Agro y Comercio de Santa Barbara Lagromer, Compania Agro Comercial
Cueta, and Inversiones Hunel Ltda. are all agricultural companies based in
Bogotá. Casa Comercial Oro Rapido, of
Girardot, Cundinamarca, and Casa Comercial Uni Quince, of Bogota, are both pawn
shops. Hotel Paraiso Resort en
Arrendamiento is a lodging establishment located in Rivera, Huila.
Today’s
action was taken in close coordination with the Drug Enforcement
Administration.
Internationally,
OFAC has designated more than 1,300 businesses and individuals linked to 103
drug kingpins since June 2000. 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 could 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.
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