Largest ever Kingpin Act designation against Mexican drug cartel

The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (‘OFAC’) has made its largest ever single Kingpin Act designation against a Mexican drug cartel. The action identified Raul Flores Hernandez and the Flores Drug Trafficking Organization (‘Flores DTO’) as significant foreign narcotics traffickers under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (‘Kingpin Act’), and designated 21 Mexican nationals and 42 entities, including professional footballer Rafael Marquez and popular singer Julion Alvarez. All those designated are subject to asset freezes and US nationals are not allowed to deal with them.

The action was taken in conjunction with a number of US agencies, including the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the US Customs and Border Protection, and with the Mexican goverment.

‘Raul Flores Hernandez has operated for decades because of his longstanding relationships with other drug cartels and his use of financial front persons to mask his investments of illegal drug proceeds,’ said OFAC director John E Smith.  ‘This major joint action reflects the US government’s close cooperation with our law enforcement partners in Mexico to stop the illegal flow of narcotics and to target and expose drug kingpins and those who facilitate their illicit financial networks.’

For OFAC’s press release see here:
https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/sm0144.aspx

For a list of those designated see here:
https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/Pages/20170809.aspx