US Treasury Designates Major Mexican National, Drug Trafficking Organization

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 12th May, 2021) The US Department of the Treasury said in a release on Wednesday that it has designated a Mexican national Jesus Gonzalez Penuelas and his organization, the Gonzalez Drug Trafficking Organization, as significant narcotics traffickers under the Kingpin Act.

"Today, the US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) identified Jesus Gonzalez Penuelas and the Gonzalez Penuelas Drug Trafficking Organization (Gonzalez Penuelas DTO) as Significant Foreign Narcotics Traffickers pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (Kingpin Act)," the release said.

OFAC also designated six individuals and an entity for their links to the Gonzalez Drug Trafficking Organization, the release said.

The Mexican national has been the leader of an independent methamphetamine, marijuana, and heroin production and distribution organization since at least 2007 while the organization is among the largest sources of raw opium gum and heroin in northern Mexico, the release added.

Since June 2000, more than 2,200 entities and individuals have been sanctioned under the Kingpin Act, according to Treasury Department, according to the release.