US Sanctions More Than 50 People And Businesses Linked To Jalisco Cartel
The United States has announced sweeping sanctions against more than 50 individuals and businesses accused of supporting the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), in what officials described as the largest financial action ever taken against the organisation.
The sanctions, announced by the US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), target 39 individuals and 16 companies allegedly involved in money laundering, logistics, fuel distribution, real estate, manufacturing, and other commercial activities used to generate income for the cartel. Mexican authorities simultaneously froze the same financial accounts as part of a coordinated operation.
Among those sanctioned is Julio Alberto Castillo Rodríguez, also known as "Ojo de Vidrio", who US officials describe as a senior CJNG leader and the son in law of the cartel's former leader Nemesio "El Mencho" Oseguera Cervantes. Authorities allege Castillo Rodríguez oversees financial operations and money laundering networks that help sustain the cartel's activities.
The sanctions also cover businesses operating in sectors including transportation, logistics, tequila production, agriculture, retail, and manufacturing. US officials said these companies were allegedly used to disguise criminal proceeds and support the cartel's operations while appearing to conduct legitimate commercial activities.
Treasury Secretary officials said the objective is to weaken the CJNG's financial infrastructure by blocking access to the US financial system. Under the sanctions, all property and financial interests belonging to the designated individuals and entities that fall under US jurisdiction are frozen, while US citizens and businesses are prohibited from conducting transactions with them.
The action follows the US government's designation of the CJNG as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and Specially Designated Global Terrorist organisation. Officials said targeting the cartel's financial network is intended to disrupt its ability to finance drug trafficking, extortion, fuel theft, and other organised criminal activities across Mexico and beyond.
Mexican authorities welcomed the joint operation, saying closer cooperation between the two countries is essential in tackling organised crime and financial networks that support cartel violence. Officials added that investigations into additional individuals and businesses linked to the CJNG remain ongoing.
The sanctions represent one of the most significant joint financial enforcement actions undertaken by the United States and Mexico against organised crime and signal continued efforts to target cartel operations beyond traditional law enforcement and military measures.
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