First appeared on FOX: The Treasury Department is set to announce sanctions Tuesday against individuals and entities linked to violent Mexico-based drug trafficking cartels that are responsible for much of the fentanyl and other deadly drugs smuggled into the United States, Fox News Digital has learned.
The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control is set to announce sanctions against nine Mexican nationals and 26 Mexico-based companies involved in a fuel theft network that netted tens of millions of dollars to the Jalisco Nueva Generación cartel.
'Most brutal' Mexican drug cartels operate in all 50 states, bringing turf wars to US: DEA
Mexico-based drug trafficking cartels, such as the Jalisco Nueva Generale, have engaged in fuel theft in recent years, costing the Mexican government billions of dollars in lost revenue.
The Treasury Department's sanctions actions were coordinated with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Mexican government. U.S. authorities also coordinated with Mexico's Financial Intelligence Unit.
Several bags of fentanyl were seized in Nogales, Arizona, where Border Patrol agents and officers seized more than 1,900 pounds of the illegal drug in October. (CBP)
Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo told Fox News Digital that the Biden administration is “committed to taking decisive action to disrupt the financing and operation of deadly fentanyl trafficking cartels like CJNG.”
Adeyemo said the cartel's “diversified revenue sources, including fuel theft, ultimately enhance their ability to smuggle fentanyl and other deadly drugs into the United States.”
“Treasury will continue to relentlessly target drug trafficking organizations, using our expertise and tools to keep communities safe and take harmful drugs like fentanyl off our streets,” Adeyemo said.
Last year, the Treasury Department imposed sanctions on members of the Sinaloa Cartel.
U.S. imposes sanctions on Sinaloa Cartel members, including 'Anthrax Monkeys' as part of anti-fentanyl campaign
Earlier this year, the DEA said the Jalisco Nueva Generale and Sinaloa drug cartels were causing a massive influx of drugs into major U.S. cities. Methamphetamine and fentanyl, And they use violence to protect their territory.
According to federal prosecutors, members of the Jalisco cartel admitted to arranging to transport 199.97 kilograms of liquid methamphetamine, with a street value of up to $9.9 million, from Mexico to Dallas. (U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Texas)
“The Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels have brought out the worst. The drug crisis “It is the largest such incident in U.S. history,” the DEA report said.
The report noted that Sinaloa and Jalisco have “virtually eliminated competition in the U.S. market” and “control nearly all illegal drug flows,” with thousands of cartel-linked dealers now operating in the United States.
Late April, 12 Traffickers with ties to the Jalisco Cartel He was arrested in Del Rio, Texas, in 2021 for orchestrating the transportation of approximately 200 kilograms of liquid methamphetamine valued at $9.9 million and sentenced to 4.5 to 40 years in federal prison.
Police officers stand at the scene where members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel set a vehicle on fire after one of its leaders was captured by Mexican federal forces, in Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico, on August 9, 2022. (REUTERS/Fernando Carranza | Insert: REUTERS/Andrew Kelly)
During the investigation, law enforcement seized approximately 650 kilograms of methamphetamine, 17 firearms, $220,922 in cash and $12,200 in real and personal property, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in North Texas.
Even small amounts of fentanyl can be deadly, causing the deaths of more than 70,000 Americans each year. Fentanyl is often mixed with other drugs or counterfeited, so users often don't realize what they're taking.
The drugs are primarily produced in Mexico by the cartels using Chinese ingredients and then transported across the U.S. land border.
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The Biden administration has launched an international coalition to address the fentanyl threat, including working with Mexico and other countries to crack down on smugglers and regulate source chemicals.
Last year, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen launched the Anti-Fentanyl Strike Force, and in April, she announced the launch of exchanges with the People's Republic of China to “enhance cooperation in combating money laundering related to drug trafficking and other crimes.”
