The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned 15 Ecuador-based entities and blocked 10 vessels used to transport cocaine from South America to Mexico, which is then distributed in the United States. The targets, including members of the violent gangs Los Choneros and Los Lobos, are linked to Mexican cartels such as the Sinaloa Cartel and Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG). Operating under false fishing business pretenses, these vessels facilitated cocaine trafficking through the Eastern Pacific Ocean. The action, part of Operation Pacific Viper, aims to disrupt drug networks and aligns with efforts by the Homeland Security Task Force and Drug Enforcement Administration. OFAC designated the entities under Executive Order 14059, targeting the international proliferation of illicit drugs. The sanctions also block specific fishing vessels and companies involved in refueling and logistics for cocaine-smuggling operations.
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