In a further effort to combat the smuggling and production of illegal fentanyl, the U.S. Department of the Treasury on Monday imposed new sanctions against Los Chapitos, a strong faction of Mexico’s famous Sinaloa Cartel. The measures are a part of a wider assault on the legal institutions that contribute to the dangerous opioid crisis in the United States.
The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control ( OFAC ) named two well-known fugitives and senior Los Chapitos members in a press release: Jess Alfredo Guzmán Salazar and Archivaldo Iván Guzmán Salazar. Both of Joaqun” El Chapo” Guzmán Loera, the former mind of the Sinaloa Cartel, is son of the two gentlemen. The sons have long been accused of playing significant roles in the regime’s international drug operations.
In a related development, militants affiliated with the Sinaloa Cartel have been linked to the murder of former U.S. Marine Nicholas Quets on October 18, 2024, in Sonora, Mexico. The incident highlights the gang’s growing threat to both Hispanic citizens and foreigners as well as its violent reach.
Additionally, OFAC authorized the establishment of a local community of Mexican-based Los Chapitos sponsors and companies. These organizations are involved in a wide range of unlawful activities, including money laundering, extortion, kidnapping, and drug trafficking, according to the Treasury. The names aim to prevent their access to the world financial system and freeze their possessions that are tied to the United States.
The most recent round of punishment highlights the U.S. government’s continued efforts to undermine the financial system of multinational criminal organizations that are responsible for the fentanyl epidemic.
The Treasury provided a statement from Doug Quets, the parents of the original U.S. Marine killed by Sinaloa Linked Gunmen:
The family of Nicholas Quets expresses its sincere and unwavering gratitude to President Trump and his whole Cabinet for using every means of national power to pursue justice.
Nicholas Quets, a proud American and proud member of the United States Marines, was ambushed on October 18, 2024 by a heavily armed Sinaloa Cartel body just north of the U.S. border. His bright upcoming was stolen. Nicholas was fatally shot in the back and through the brain during a failed burglary, only to be confirmed as an British by those wearing gang insignia, which are more than two hundred strong. This was not only murder; it was a deliberate act of evil against a recognized American citizen.
The Sinaloa Cartel’s designation as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO ) was a crucial first step in preserving Nicholas ‘ legacy and preventing other Americans from experiencing similar tragedies. No matter where they are, those who target Americans will face the full power of American commitment.
Secretary Bessent’s bold move to attack the financial networks of the Sinaloa Cartel is at the center of this international threat. It is crucial to destroy this legal empire by preventing them from being able to move money, dirty profits, and bribe officials.
In Nicholas ‘ name, we continue to fight for the full demise of the Sinaloa Cartel and the prosecution of each and every gang official before God, whether they are gang members or responsible officials. # JusticeForNicholasQuets – Doug Quets, the father of Nicholas Quets, a former U.S. Marine killed by Sinaloa Linked Gunmen
