The U.S. government has identified CJNG as a major producer and distributor of fentanyl to the United States. Recently, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on two Mexican members of Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG) for their involvement in trafficking fentanyl and other drugs to the U.S.
According to the Treasury Department, CJNG, also known as the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, is a significant player in the fentanyl trade to the U.S. Brian Nelson, undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, stated that the Biden administration has imposed sanctions on various transnational criminal organizations, including CJNG, to combat the flow of fentanyl and other drugs into the country.
The two sanctioned individuals, Juan Carlos Banuelos Ramirez and Gerardo Rivera Ibarra, are alleged CJNG cell leaders who have been implicated in smuggling fentanyl and methamphetamine into the United States. The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) also sanctioned two Mexican companies associated with these individuals.
Banuelos Ramirez has been accused of supplying counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl and managing methamphetamine production in Mexico. He is also said to have purchased weapons for CJNG and sought drones for the cartel. Additionally, he was indicted by a federal grand jury in California.
OFAC recently sanctioned Mexican accountants and companies linked to a timeshare fraud ring run by CJNG. This fraudulent scheme involves scammers impersonating U.S. timeshare brokers, attorneys, or sales representatives to defraud timeshare owners through various scams.
The Treasury and FBI have issued a notice urging banks to be vigilant in detecting and reporting timeshare fraud perpetrated by Mexico-based transnational criminal organizations. Mr. Nelson emphasized the importance of staying vigilant against such criminal activities funded by drug trafficking and human smuggling.
In 2021, OFAC sanctioned 50 individuals and entities connected to CJNG’s timeshare fraud operations. It is crucial to be aware of these threats and utilize available resources to combat them. Please rephrase this sentence.
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