The Trump administration’s Department of the Treasury announced new sanctions on four cartel drug lords linked to fentanyl trafficking and human smuggling.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent revealed that these individuals are associated with La Nueva Familia Michoacana (LNFM), a violent Mexican drug cartel classified as a foreign terror organization.
Bessent emphasized the administration’s commitment to intensifying pressure on drug cartels like LNFM, which are responsible for trafficking fentanyl and other dangerous substances into the U.S., smuggling illegal aliens across the Southwest border, and attacking law enforcement.
The sanctions freeze any assets these individuals may have in the United States and require financial institutions to report them to the Office of Foreign Assets Control.
The sanctions specifically target four siblings, including the cartel’s co-leaders, Johnny and Jose Alfredo Hurtado Olascoaga. The State Department has offered cash rewards of $5 million and $3 million, respectively, for information leading to their arrest or conviction.
The other two siblings, Ubaldo and Adita Hurtado Olascoaga, were also sanctioned. Ubaldo is reported to oversee hitmen for the cartel and has been involved in illegal mining, while Adita has trafficked arms for her brothers and laundered drug proceeds.
These sanctions follow a previous round aimed at six individuals connected to the Sinaloa Cartel, another notorious criminal organization designated as a foreign terror group.
The administration’s ongoing efforts reflect a broader strategy to combat the influence of drug cartels and protect American communities from the harms associated with drug trafficking.
[READ MORE: Biden Emerges to Give His First Speech Since Leaving Office]
