Washington, May 9 (EFE).- The United States sanctioned this Tuesday Joaquín Guzmán López, son of Mexican drug trafficker Joaquín “el Chapo” Guzmán, as well as three members of the Sinaloa Cartel for their involvement in fentanyl trafficking.
Those sanctioned, to which are added the Mexican companies Sumilab and Urbanización, Inmobiliaria y Construcción de Obras, are part of a network of the Sinaloa Cartel supervised by “Los Chapitos”, sons of “El Chapo”, and considered responsible for a part of the illicit traffic of fentanyl and other deadly drugs into the United States.
The Treasury Department said in a statement that Joaquín Guzmán López works “in close collaboration” with his three brothers, all of whom were previously sanctioned, and is responsible for overseeing many aspects of the “drug trafficking empire” of “Los Chapitos.”
He is accused of being involved in the management of large laboratories located in Sinaloa and in the trafficking of illegal drugs to the United States.
Two other sanctioned this Tuesday are Raymundo Pérez Uribe, leader of a supply network used by the Sinaloa Cartel to obtain chemical precursors for the manufacture of synthetic drugs, and Saúl Páez López, involved in coordinating drug shipments for his cousins. Ovidio and Joaquín Guzmán López.
The last one is Mario Esteban Ogazón Sedano, who operates illegal drug laboratories on behalf of the Sinaloa Cartel and has under his control the real estate company also sanctioned by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
Joaquín Guzmán López was accused for the first time of drug trafficking in 2018 and since then he has been accused on different occasions, among others on April 14, when the US Department of Justice also targeted the other three “Chapitos” and about thirty people total.
He is a fugitive and the State Department has offered a $5 million reward for information leading to his arrest or conviction.
The sanctions this Tuesday, according to the US Executive, have been closely coordinated with the Mexican Government, including its Financial Intelligence Unit.
As a consequence of these sanctions, all the properties and assets that those involved may have in the US are frozen and US citizens and companies are prohibited from having transactions with them.
