To view or print the PDF content on this page, download the free Adobe® Acrobat® Reader®. August 18, 2005 Treasury Targets Front Companies and Individuals Tied to Mexican Drug Cartels The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) today identified 30 companies and individuals associated with two Mexican drug trafficking organizations pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act ("Kingpin Act"). "Today's action deals another blow to the notorious Mexican drug cartels by targeting their financial webs," said Robert Werner, Director of OFAC. "In addition, we're utilizing critical authorities that allow us to freeze assets while we further investigate their potential ties to Mexican drug kingpins." This action identifies nine companies and eight individuals associated with the Arriola Marquez Organization and three companies and four individuals associated with the Arellano Felix Organization. OFAC has also blocked pending investigation an additional six Mexican individuals associated with Mexican drug kingpins Oscar Arturo Arriola Marquez and Miguel Angel Arriola Marquez, leaders of the Arriola Marquez Organization. These actions prohibit Signed into law on Arriola Marquez Organization Oscar Arturo Arriola Marquez, Miguel Angel Arriola Marquez and the Arriola Marquez Organization were all identified by President Bush as drug kingpins on Today's action targets eight individuals and nine companies that are part of the money laundering network owned or controlled by the Arriola Marquez Organization. Two additional Arriola Marquez brothers, Luis Raul and Edgar Fernando Arriola Marquez, are named, as well as other key front individuals. In Chihuahua, Mexico, the front companies consist of two large cattle businesses - Corrales San Ignacio S.P.R. de R.L. de C.V. and Del Norte Carnes Finas San Ignacio S.A. de C.V., two real estate firms - Inmobiliaria El Escorpion del Norte S.A. de C.V. and Inmobiliaria El Preson S.A. de C.V., an automotive sales company - Auto Express Dorados S.A. de C.V., a gasoline distributor - Gasolineras San Fernando S.A. de C.V., and a food processing/distribution conglomerate – Chihuahua Foods S.A. de C.V. and Indio Vitorio S. de P.R. de R.L. de C.V. A Mexican currency exchange house, Cambios Palmilla S.A. de C.V., which serves as a major financial front for the Arriola Marquez Organization, is also designated. All of these front companies launder U.S. currency illicitly earned through narcotics sales in the United States and bulk smuggled back to Mexico. OFAC has blocked pending investigation six additional Mexican individuals associated with Oscar Arturo Arriola Marquez and Miguel Angel Arriola Marquez. A Arellano Felix Organization The Arellano Felix Organization was identified as a drug kingpin by President Bush on The three companies and four individuals targeted today are associated with an Arellano Felix Organization financial network centered on the Mexican drugstore chain Farmacia Vida Suprema S.A. de C.V., which was designated by OFAC on "OFAC continues to work closely with the Drug Enforcement Administration in its narcotics sanctions investigations to expose front companies and corrupt individuals controlled by the drug cartels in The action taken today adds 30 new names bringing the total number of Tier I and Tier II Kingpins under the Kingpin Act to 197: 57 drug kingpins worldwide, 46 companies in This action is part of the ongoing interagency effort by the Departments of Treasury, Justice, State, Defense and Homeland Security, the Central Intelligence Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration to carry out the Kingpin Act.
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