U.S. Government Blacklists Mexican Companies Linked to Drug Cartel
Tom Ramstack - AHN News Correspondent

Washington, D.C., United States (AHN) - The U.S. government announced financial sanctions Thursday against Mexican companies accused of helping the Sinaloa drug cartel launder money it earns from its criminal enterprises.

The Treasury Department is seizing the U.S. assets of 12 companies and 16 individuals it has linked to Alejandro Flores Cacho, a suspected associate of the Sinaloa drug cartel.

Most of the suspicion falls on an air transport company that officially carries cargo between Colombia and Mexico. It is run by Cacho.

The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) says the company also carries drugs and uses its business operations to hide cash brought in from illegal drug trade.

Other companies on the Treasury Department’s list include an electronics supply company, a farm animal breeding company, an office supply store and a popular Mexico City restaurant.

The Treasury Department’s action authorizes the U.S. Justice Department to seize the property and freeze the bank accounts of any companies or individuals on the list.

The federal Kingpin Act also forbids U.S. companies from dealing with anyone listed by the government as a “significant foreign narcotics trafficker.â€