Treasury Targets Belize-Based Operatives of Chapo Guzman
8/7/2012
Sanctions Directed Against the John Zabaneh Drug Trafficking Organization
Linked to the Sinaloa Cartel
WASHINGTON –
The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control
(OFAC) today announced the designation of John Zabaneh and two members
of his drug trafficking organization, who are based in Belize and are
key associates of Joaquin “Chapo” Guzman Loera, and other members of the
Sinaloa Cartel. The action also includes the designation of five
companies in Belize that are owned or controlled by John Zabaneh or
members of his organization. Today’s action, pursuant to the Foreign
Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (Kingpin Act), prohibits U.S. persons
from conducting financial or commercial transactions with these
individuals and companies, and also freezes any assets they may have
under U.S. jurisdiction.
“John
Zabaneh’s drug trafficking activities and his organization’s ties to
Colombian sources of supply and Mexican buyers make him a critical
figure in the narcotics trade,” said OFAC Director Adam J. Szubin. “By
designating Zabaneh, OFAC is disrupting those activities and continuing
its efforts, alongside those of our law enforcement partners, to expose
operatives of Chapo Guzman and the Sinaloa Cartel, including their
businesses.”
OFAC is
designating John Zabaneh for the prominent role that he and his
organization play in narcotics trafficking in Central America,
particularly Belize, as well as their role in the drug trafficking
operations of Chapo Guzman and the Sinaloa Cartel. John Zabaneh and his
organization have been involved in narcotics trafficking since the
1980s. In addition to the designation of John Zabaneh, today’s action
includes the designation of his nephew, Dion Zabaneh, and a close
associate, Daniel Moreno. The action also includes the designation of
five companies owned or controlled by John Zabaneh or Daniel Moreno.
Zabaneh’s companies are Mayan King Limited (banana farm), Mid-South
Investments Limited (building contractor and property consultant), Crown
Paradise Enterprises Limited (resort management and marina), and Belize
Chemicals Limited (pharmaceuticals). Moreno’s company is D’s
Supermarket Company Limited (grocery store).
Today’s action would not have been possible without the key support of the Drug Enforcement Administration.
“DEA
and its partners continue our sustained attack on brutal criminal
regimes such as the Sinaloa Cartel and its leadership and those who help
facilitate their drug and money networks," said DEA Chief of Financial
Operations John Arvanitis. "The OFAC Designation of the Zabeneh
organization is necessary to dismantle and further disrupt the
operations of the Sinaloa Cartel in other parts of the world.”
Guzman
Loera and the Sinaloa Cartel were identified by the President as
significant foreign narcotics traffickers pursuant to the Kingpin Act in
2001 and 2009, respectively.
Internationally,
OFAC has designated more than 1,100 businesses and individuals linked
to 97 drug kingpins since June 2000. Penalties for violations of the
Kingpin Act range from civil penalties of up to $1.075 million per
violation to more severe criminal penalties. Criminal penalties for
corporate officers may include up to 30 years in prison and fines up to
$5 million. Criminal fines for corporations may reach $10 million.
Other individuals could face up to 10 years in prison and fines pursuant
to Title 18 of the United States Code for criminal violations of the
Kingpin Act.
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