May 2 (UPI) — The United States is sanctioning three Mexican brothers and two Mexico-based companies linked to the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion drug cartel on accusations of fentanyl and fuel trafficking.
The departments of State and Treasury announced the sanctions Thursday, accusing the individuals and companies of generating hundreds of millions of dollars a year for the CJNG through drug trafficking, fuel theft and smuggling crude oil from Mexico across the U.S. southwest border.
“Fuel theft and crude oil smuggling are cash cows for CJNG’s narco-terrorist enterprise, providing a lucrative revenue stream for the group and enabling it to wreak havoc in Mexico and the United States,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bassent said in a statement.
The Treasury sanctioned Cesar Morfin Morfin, 37, for being an alleged CJNG cell leader and his two bothers Alvaro Noe Morfin Morfin, 47, and Remigio Morfin Morfin, 33.
Cesar, who is also known as “Priminto,” is accused of being involved in the transportation, importation and distribution of narcotics, including fentanyl, into the United States. Treasury officials said his network has recently focused on stolen-fuel-related activities, including smuggling it into the United States, due to its high profit margins.
His older and younger brothers were sanctioned for being considered his partners. The Treasury said Alvaro Noe is involved in narcotics smuggling and Cesar’s stolen-fuel business, while Remigio oversees plaza bosses, supplies Cesar with stolen fuel and engages in drug trafficking.
The two companies blacklisted were hazardous materials transportation companies that operate either directly or indirectly for Cesar, engaging in fuel and oil transportation between Mexico and the United States.
“The United States remains committed to protecting our nation and the American people by keeping poisonous drugs like fentanyl off our streets and disrupting the revenue streams profiting Mexico-based FTOs and SDGTs like CJNG,” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce in a statement, referring to the acronyms for foreign terrorist organization and specially designated global terrorist.
The United States has repeatedly sanctioned CJNG under both the previous Biden administration and the current Trump administration, with the latter designating it as a foreign terrorist organization and a specially designated global terrorist in February.