US Treasury Sanctions Mexican Businessmen and Companies Linked to CJNG Fuel Theft Ring
The United States Department of the Treasury has sanctioned two Mexican businessmen and nine entities linked to a fuel theft network—commonly known as ‘huachicol’—associated with the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), as confirmed by the Mexican Ministry of Finance.
According to the statement, Oscar Guillermo Juraidini Silva and José Refugio Ruiz Villagómez are the Mexican businessmen sanctioned by US authorities.
Meanwhile, the nine sanctioned entities are:
- Jomadi Logistics & Cargo, SA de CV.
- Ahavat Logistics Solution, SA de CV.
- Centro Cambiario La Peseta, SA de CV.
- OJ Living Trust
- SAPI de CV
- RK Real King, SA de CV
- Soma Transporte y Servicios, SA de CV
- Ogui Fletes
- OF Transportes
How the CJNG-Linked Fuel Theft Network Operates, According to Authorities
Juraidini Silva is an accountant identified as the “mastermind” behind certain financial operations for the CJNG, a criminal organization he also supports through a fuel smuggling company that generates millions of dollars annually.
Additionally, he operates shell companies for the criminal group and falsifies customs documents to facilitate the illicit transport of fuel across the border and evade taxes.
He also counts gas station businesses among his clients, which receive refined products and sell them at their service stations. This generates tens of millions of dollars a year that benefit the Jalisco Cartel, according to data from the Treasury Department.
On the other hand, Ruiz Villagómez, who is involved in Jomadi Logistics & Cargo and Ahavat Logistics Solution, is accused of smuggling fuel from the United States into Mexico and “paying bribes to cartels and other criminal organizations that control the ports of entry” between both countries, the Treasury Department stated.
“According to investigative findings published by the Attorney General’s Office of Mexico, Jomadi is an import and export company involved in drug trafficking. Jomadi and Ahavat have conducted transactions through the US financial system totaling tens of millions of dollars with third parties linked to the CJNG who have participated in drug trafficking-related activities,” the Treasury Department specified in a statement.
Mexico Sanctions the Fuel Theft Network
Upon conducting a fiscal, financial, and corporate analysis of Juraidini Silva and Ruiz Villagómez, Mexico’s Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF) identified potential signs of operations using illicit funds, as well as inconsistencies between the income reported to tax authorities and the funds moved through the financial system.
“The network allegedly used companies linked to the transportation, logistics, and hydrocarbon commercialization sectors to facilitate operations presumably related to the concealment and movement of resources of illicit origin,” the Ministry of Finance stated.
Consequently, both individuals and the nine companies linked to the CJNG were added to Mexico’s Blocked Persons List (LPB) in order to “protect the integrity” of the national financial system and restrict its use for activities related to money laundering, the Ministry of Finance asserted.
Source: radioformula
