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May 20, 2008
HP-986
Treasury Further Exposes Financial Empire of Colombian Trafficker
Washington - The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) today added 12 companies to its list of Specially Designated Narcotics Traffickers. The companies designated today are controlled by individuals previously exposed as front persons for Juan Carlos Ramirez Abadia (a.k.a. Chupeta), who remains in Brazilian custody following his capture in August 2007.
"Although Chupeta has been captured, fragments of his organization remain intact in Colombia and Spain," said OFAC Director Adam J. Szubin. "OFAC is committed to exposing the last vestiges of Chupeta's financial empire."
Ramirez Abadia was named by OFAC as a Specially Designated Narcotics Trafficker in August 2000. He was indicted on federal drug trafficking charges in Colorado in 1994 and in the Eastern District of New York in 1995 and 2004. In 2004, Colombia's North Valle drug cartel was indicted in the District of Columbia under the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. Ramirez Abadia was identified in this U.S. indictment as one of the cartel's leaders. OFAC worked closely with the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York in the investigation leading up to today's action.
Each of the companies designated today is controlled by persons previously designated on August 15, 2007 because they are front persons for Ramirez Abadia. Ten of the companies designated today are located in Colombia. Among these companies is A K Difusion S.A. Publicidad y Mercadeo, a consulting company in Cali controlled by Alfonso Barrera Rios, Alvaro Enrique Barrera Rios, and Victoria Eugenia Barrera Rios. Arturo Quinonez Ltda., which does business in Cali as Restaurante Santa Colombia, is controlled by Benedicto Quinones, a long-time accountant for Ramirez Abadia. La Holanda S.A. is a veterinary products company in Cali controlled by German Rosero Angulo, a key lieutenant for Ramirez Abadia.
Two of the companies designated today are located in Spain. Valero y Asociados Gabinete Juridico S.L. is a legal services company in Valencia controlled by Luis Hernan Valero Jimenez, a long-time attorney and front person for Ramirez Abadia. Grupo Inversor Principe de Vergara S.L. is a real estate company in Madrid controlled by one of Ramirez Abadia's closest associates, Mauricio Arturo Espitia Ortiz.
Today's announcement marks OFAC's fourth action since 2006 that targets the assets of Ramirez Abadia. In August 2006, OFAC designated the Colombian pharmaceutical distribution company Disdrogas Ltda. and Ramirez Abadia's parents, who were managing the company on his behalf. In August 2007 and October 2007, OFAC designated several of Ramirez Abadia's key lieutenants along with a variety of Colombian companies, including a paso fino horse breeding farm (Criadero Santa Gertrudis S.A.) and a major currency exchange and money remittance company (Cambios y Capitales S.A.).
A detailed look at the program against Colombian drug organizations is provided in OFAC's March 2007 Impact Report on Economic Sanctions Against Colombian Drug Cartels.
http://www.treasury.gov/offices/enforcement/ofac/reports/narco_impact_report_05042007.pdf
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REPORTS