In fact, the U.S. government has already sanctioned twelve Mexico-based companies. They took action against eight individuals for having allegedly supported the operations of the Sinaloa cartel, which is designated as a foreign terrorist organization. The U.S. Treasury Department announced this move to make clear its determination to combat drug traffickers. It seeks to tear down the networks that fuel these transnational criminal organizations.
The Sinaloa cartel, often depicted in the popular media as the archetypical drug-trafficking organization. Its “Chapitos” faction, under control of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán’s sons, are the heart of the cartel’s base operations. Unlike many groups recognized as terrorist organizations, the Sinaloa cartel and similar entities focus primarily on profit rather than political motives. This distinction has prompted the U.S. government to expand its designations of Latin American criminal groups as foreign terrorist organizations.
The recent round of sanctions focuses on companies allegedly exploiting their corporate layers to supply chemicals to the Sinaloa cartel. One of those sanctioned is Sumilab, a company previously sanctioned under the Biden administration in 2023. Even so, it was able to successfully wash its bloody hands and continue running its operations through multiple shell-front companies.
“President Trump has made clear that stopping the deadly flow of drugs into our country is a top national security priority,” stated John K. Hurley, Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence at the U.S. Treasury Department. He stated that these sanctions are a critical component in targeting the financial systems that allow organizations like ISIS to flourish.
The measures implemented on Monday serve to freeze all assets within the United States related to the sanctioned businesses and individuals. They prohibit all transactions with these groups, cutting off the noose even more around operations associated with the Sinaloa cartel.
U.S. officials say these sanctions are the latest step in a growing strategy to use an aggressive, multi-faceted approach to combat drug-trafficking groups. For example, the government just designated the Sinaloa cartel a foreign terrorist organization. This seems to show their intense resolve to shake up the cartel’s business and kill its power in operation.
“The Treasury Department is committed to dismantling the complex financial networks that support these terrorist organizations,” added Hurley. The bottom line is that the U.S. government is still on the offensive against drug traffickers. They are going after the financial networks that sustain this black market.
