The United States government has announced rewards of up to US $5 million each for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of four sons of imprisoned drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán Loera.
The Department of State announced the rewards Wednesday for the arrest of Ovidio Guzmán López, Ivan Archivaldo Guzmán Salazar, Jesús Alfredo Guzmán Salazar and Joaquín Guzmán López, also known as Los Chapitos.
“All four are high-ranking members of the Sinaloa Cartel and are each subject to a federal indictment for their involvement in the illicit drug trade,” the Department of State said in a press release.
It provided details on how information about the four men can be forwarded to authorities, including by telephone, email and encrypted messaging services.
The Department of State said its new reward announcements complement the Department of Treasury’s designation of 25 individuals and entities under a new executive order (E.O.) – Imposing Sanctions on Foreign Persons Involved in the Global Illicit Drug Trade – signed by United States President Joe Biden on Wednesday.
“Under the new E.O. … the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) today designated 25 actors (10 individuals and 15 entities) in four countries for having engaged in, or attempted to engage in, activities or transactions that have materially contributed to, or pose a significant risk of materially contributing to, the international proliferation of illicit drugs or their means of production,” the Department of Treasury said.
In Mexico, Treasury designated Los Rojos and the Guerreros Unidos for the first time, and added additional designations to 12 individuals and entities that had already been designated under the Kingpin Act and/or a 2011 E.O.
“Los Rojos DTO [drug trafficking organization] is a splinter group of the Beltrán Leyva Organization (BLO), which in recent years has risen to become one of Mexico’s most powerful criminal organizations. In addition to driving violence in Mexico, the Los Rojos DTO is responsible for trafficking numerous illicit drugs, including heroin, into the United States,” Treasury said.
“Guerreros Unidos (GU), a DTO based in Guerrero, Mexico, was originally a splinter group from BLO and through violence expanded its role in the heroin trade. GU collaborates with the Mexican narcotics trafficking organization, Jalisco New Generation Cartel, and shares the same transportation networks to move drug shipments into the United States and to return drug proceeds to Mexico.”
The Guerreros Unidos is also implicated in the abduction of the 43 students who disappeared in Guerrero in 2014.
The Mexican entities and individuals that received an additional designation under the new E.O. were:
• The Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).
• CJNG leader Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes.
• The Sinaloa Cartel.
• Sinaloa Cartel leader Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada.
• The leaders of the Los Chapitos faction of the Sinaloa Cartel – Ivan, Jesús and Ovidio Guzmán.
• The Beltrán Leyva Organization.
• Fausto Isidro Meza Flores, a BLO operator in northern Sinaloa.
• The Gulf Cartel.
• The Juárez Cartel.
• Los Zetas drug cartel.
• Miguel Treviño Morales, who the DEA considers the head of Los Zetas.
• Omar Treviño Morales, Miguel’s brother and a leader of Los Zetas.
• La Familia Michoacana drug cartel.
“As a result of today’s action, all property and interests in property of the designated individuals that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons must be blocked and reported to OFAC,” Treasury said.
Mexico News Daily
