The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) recently sanctioned 12 Mexico-based companies and eight Mexican nationals affiliated with the Sinaloa Cartel’s Los Chapitos faction for supplying illicit fentanyl precursor chemicals to the cartel.
The U.S. Department of State designated the Sinaloa Cartel as a foreign terrorist organization and as a specially designated global terrorist in February. Officials said the organization is responsible for a significant portion of the deadly drugs trafficked into the United States.
OFAC also designated Los Chapitos pursuant to counterterrorism and counternarcotics authorities in June. Los Chapitos has been involved in illicit laboratories, procuring precursor chemicals and drug distribution.
More than “500,000 Americans have died of fentanyl poisoning,” John Hurley, Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, said. “President Trump has made clear that stopping the deadly flow of drugs into our country is a top national security priority. Under Secretary Bessent’s leadership, the Treasury Department is committed to dismantling the complex financial networks that support these terrorist organizations.”
One company sanctioned by the Treasury Department was Sumilab S.A. de C.V., a chemical and laboratory equipment company headquartered in Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico. Sumilab was designated for its involvement in providing and shipping precursor chemicals for and to Sinaloa Cartel members and associates for fentanyl production.
All property and interests in property in the United States of the designated or blocked persons, or in the possession or control of U.S. persons, are blocked and must be reported to the OFAC.