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June 16, 2008
HP-1031

Treasury Removes 60 Names from Narcotics Traffickers List

Washington - The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) today removed from its list of Specially Designated Narcotics Traffickers 60 individuals who, since their designation, have severed ties with Colombia's notorious Cali drug cartel and are assisting Colombian authorities. All 60 individuals are Colombian employees of Copservir, a previously-designated enterprise that operated a retail drugstore chain before the Colombian government seized control of its operations in September 2004.

"Removing the names of these Copservir employees from the list of Specially Designated Narcotics Traffickers is the result of close cooperation with the Colombian government," said OFAC Director Adam J. Szubin. "Today's action represents a success in OFAC's targeting of Colombian drug cartels, as these 60 individuals have cut ties with the Rodriguez Orejuela narcotics trafficking organization and have instead cooperated with the Colombian authorities during the forfeiture process."

Copservir remains under the control and administration of the Colombian government. The ownership interests in Copservir that are held by narcotics traffickers Miguel and Gilberto Rodriguez Orejuela and their family members are in the process of being forfeited.

The Rodriguez Orejuela brothers were the leaders of the Cali drug cartel, once the most powerful cocaine trafficking organization in Colombia. Both are serving prison sentences in the United States after pleading guilty to federal narcotics trafficking and money laundering charges in September 2006. Today's action was not dependent on the Rodriguez Orejuela brothers' guilty pleas nor does it affect the Colombian government's forfeiture case against Copservir's assets.

In November 2004, OFAC adopted a policy to issue specific licenses, on a case by case basis, to authorize U.S. suppliers to engage in certain transactions with Copservir. These licenses were issued provided that Copservir continued to operate in a legitimate manner and under the control of the Colombian government. The ability of U.S. suppliers to obtain licenses to engage in transactions with Copservir preserved the jobs of several thousand Colombians who were unknowingly manipulated by Miguel and Gilberto Rodriguez Orejuela.

The 60 individuals removed today were previously listed as Specially Designated Narcotics Traffickers pursuant to Executive Order 12978 of October 21, 1995, which applies financial sanctions against Colombia's drug cartels. The names of the 60 individuals are available at:

http://www.treas.gov/offices/enforcement/ofac/actions/

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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