US Treasury Sanctions Sinaloa Cartel Over Fentanyl trafficking

Updated June 10, 2025

The ⁢U.S. Treasury Department has imposed sanctions on two sons of Joaquín “El chapo” Guzmán, along with several members of their network, for their involvement in fentanyl trafficking, money laundering, and fueling violence as part of the Sinaloa Cartel’s Los ‍Chapitos faction. the sanctions, administered by the ‍Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), aim to disrupt the cartel’s operations and financial networks.

Archivaldo Iván Guzmán Salazar⁢ and ⁣Jesús Alfredo‍ Guzmán Salazar, both fugitives, are ‍identified by‍ U.S. ‍officials as senior leaders within the Los Chapitos wing. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that Los Chapitos is⁤ a “powerful, hyperviolent‍ faction” at the forefront of fentanyl trafficking into the United States. The Treasury Department is using all available tools to combat the fentanyl crisis and target violent leaders.

The sanctions follow the October 2024 killing of Nicholas Quets, a former U.S. Marine, ⁣in Sonora, Mexico.⁤ The Treasury Department linked the ⁣gunmen to the Sinaloa Cartel, stating they were part of an armed cell that pursued and fatally shot Quets after confirming⁣ his U.S.⁣ citizenship.

Doug Quets, Nicholas’s father,⁣ described the attack as “a deliberate act of terror” and praised⁤ the governance’s response. He also noted that the U.S. State Department’s designating the Sinaloa Cartel as a Foreign Terrorist ⁣Organization (FTO) earlier this year was “a vital first⁤ step⁣ in honoring Nicholas’ memory and protecting other Americans from suffering similar tragedies.”

In addition to the Guzmán brothers, OFAC targeted a‍ regional network operating in Mazatlán, Mexico. Víctor Manuel Barraza Pablos, known as “El Victor,” was identified as a local plaza ‍boss. José Raúl Núñez Ríos, accused⁣ of financing the cartel through construction, retail, and hospitality businesses, and ⁣his wife, Sheila Paola Urías ⁢Vázquez, were also designated.

Ten businesses connected to the network, including construction firms, a hotel, and ‍a⁣ clothing store,‍ were sanctioned. The action freezes any U.S.-based assets and prohibits Americans ⁣from conducting business with the involved individuals or entities. The Mazatlán-based⁣ network is allegedly involved in‍ trafficking, extortion, kidnapping, and laundering ‍drug ⁢proceeds, supporting the Sinaloa Cartel’s ‍infrastructure across northwestern Mexico.

The designation follows the cartel’s classification as an FTO on Feb. ‍20, which⁢ allowed the federal government to ⁢apply additional counterterrorism ⁣tools against⁢ cartel members and their financial enablers. This action⁢ marks the ninth round of OFAC sanctions targeting⁢ transnational criminal organizations as January.

Treasury officials affirmed ⁣their commitment to using financial measures,alongside law enforcement and ⁣diplomatic efforts,to pressure cartels and disrupt their operations in the fight against fentanyl trafficking.

What’s next

Treasury officials said the department ⁤will continue using financial measures alongside law enforcement and diplomatic tools to pressure cartels and disrupt‍ their operations, aiming to⁣ curb fentanyl trafficking ⁤and related criminal⁣ activities.