The United States Department of the Treasury announced today that its Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has sanctioned five individuals associated with the Gulf Cartel, a major criminal organization in Mexico. These sanctions target individuals involved in illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing operations, as well as human smuggling and narcotics trafficking in the Gulf of Mexico.
The Gulf Cartel, designated under Executive Order 14059 for contributing to the proliferation of illicit drugs, has now been exposed for its involvement in IUU fishing, which poses a significant threat to maritime security and marine ecosystems. The individuals sanctioned include Ismael Guerra Salinas and Omar Guerra Salinas, who oversee IUU fishing and drug trafficking operations out of Playa Bagdad. Francisco Javier Sierra Angulo, Raul Decuir Garcia, and Ildelfonso Carrillo Sapien are also implicated for their roles in enabling these illicit activities.
IUU fishing not only undermines global fish stocks but is also linked to other criminal activities like forced labor and human rights abuses. The Gulf Cartel’s use of “lanchas,” small, fast-moving boats, for IUU fishing in U.S. waters has been a lucrative part of their operations, generating millions annually and leading to the incidental death of marine species.
The sanctions result in the freezing of all U.S. assets belonging to the individuals and generally prohibit Americans from dealing with them. This action follows a collaborative effort with the U.S. Coast Guard, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, and was closely coordinated with Mexico’s Financial Intelligence Unit.
The Treasury’s actions reflect a broader U.S. government effort to combat IUU fishing and its associated detrimental impacts. The U.S. Interagency Working Group on IUU Fishing, part of the Maritime Securities and Fisheries Enforcement (SAFE) Act, is at the forefront of these efforts.
The sanctioned individuals are now blocked from the U.S. financial system, and any property they hold under U.S. jurisdiction must be reported to OFAC. The sanctions also extend to any entities owned 50 percent or more by the designated persons.
This move underscores the U.S. commitment to disrupting criminal networks and their diverse illegal revenue streams. Information on the designated individuals can be found on the Treasury’s website, as the department continues to uphold sanctions as a means to effect positive change in behavior rather than to punish.
The details of today’s sanctions are based on a press release statement from the U.S. Department of the Treasury.