By The Opinion
The Government of Mexico and the United States Department of the Treasury launched a new joint offensive against the finances of the Sinaloa Cartel, by imposing sanctions against operators, companies and businesses allegedly linked to money laundering from fentanyl trafficking.
The action was announced by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the United States Department of the Treasury, which sanctioned more than a dozen people and entities related to the so-called Sinaloa Cartel.
Among the main suspects is Jesús González Peñuelas, identified by US authorities as a key operator in narcotics trafficking to the United States and responsible for laundering resources for the criminal organization. Since 2024, the State Department has maintained a reward of five million dollars for information leading to his capture.
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The Ministry of Finance, through the FIU, reinforces actions against networks linked to money laundering and drug trafficking related to the Pacific Cartel.
The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)… pic.twitter.com/JiXEuWJ44G
— Hacienda (@Hacienda_Mexico) Can also simply 20, 2026
Armando de Jesús Ojeda Avilés was also sanctioned, accused of participating in money laundering schemes derived from the profits from trafficking fentanyl and other synthetic drugs.
The list of sanctions also includes the Gorditas Chiwas restaurant, owned by businessman Alfredo Orozco Romero.as well as a private security company allegedly used to move illicit resources.
The measures involve the blocking of assets in the United States and the prohibition of carrying out operations with American citizens or financial institutions.
“Treasury will continue to sanction terrorist cartels and their fentanyl trafficking networks to protect our communities and keep America safe,” said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent
The investigation was developed in coordination with the Financial Intelligence Unit of Mexico and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which identified financial and commercial structures allegedly used to hide drug trafficking resources.
The operation reflects the growing bilateral cooperation between Mexico and the United States in the fight against fentanyl trafficking, a synthetic drug currently considered the most lethal in the United States.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), overdose deaths related to synthetic opioids increased more than 500% between 1999 and 2023.
The DEA maintains that a large part of the chemical precursors used to manufacture fentanyl come from China and are clandestinely introduced into Mexico, where criminal organizations such as the Sinaloa Cartel produce and distribute drugs to the United States.
Thus, this financial offensive also occurs amid growing pressure from the US government on Mexico to stop fentanyl trafficking and reduce the flow of synthetic drugs to the northern border.
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