U.S. Treasury Department Levies Fresh Stack of Sanctions Against the Sinaloa Cartel

Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo

By Mona Austin

(TSN): The Department of Treasury has announced new sanctions on15 Sinaloa Cartel members and 6 Sonora, Mexico based collaborating firms in connection to the illicit fentanyl and methamphetamine trade for money laundering.

Deputy Treasury Sec. Wally Adeyemo made the announcement as the latest developments from the  Department’s Counter Fentanyl Strike Force. He told CNN while in Phoenix to address thematter: "Our goal is to use every tool in our tool box to cut them off from selling these illegal products in the United States." Sanctions include cutting off their access to the U.S. banking system, preventing them from working with Americans, and blocking their U.S. assets.

Clandestine drug operations such as this have contributed to the opioid crisis in the U.S.  Arizona has been heavily impacted by drug-related deaths. In 2022, 107,941 drug overdose deaths occurred, according to the Centers for Disease control report on drug overdoses from 2002-2022. 

In its active pursuit of drug traffickers from Mexico, one of the top countries engaged in illegal drug production, the  U.S. took down notorious drug lord down El Chapo in 2016. 

In February, the FBI busted over 200 people connected to drug organizations from around the United States and North America.