President Donald Trump’s Treasury Department is issuing sanctions on criminal operations and money launderers working for the Sinaloa Cartel — a United States-designated foreign terrorist organization known for using violence to carry out its drug trafficking and human smuggling operations.
On Monday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is designating six individuals and seven entities involved in money laundering for the Sinaloa Cartel.
“Laundered drug money is the lifeblood of the Sinaloa Cartel’s narco-terrorist enterprise, only made possible through trusted financial facilitators like those we have designated today,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement.
“Treasury, as part of a whole-of-government approach to addressing this pressing national security threat, will use all available tools to target anyone who assists the cartels in furthering their campaign of crime and violence,” Bessent said.
The Treasury Department detailed the sanctioned individuals and entities, as well as their involvement with the Sinaloa Cartel, in a news release:
Enrique Dann Esparragoza Rosas (Esparragoza) operates a money laundering organization, overseeing several cells based in Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico. Esparragoza’s organization transfers illicit narcotics proceeds from the United States to Mexico utilizing a currency arbitrage scheme in which dollars are traded for Mexican pesos at currency exchange businesses along the U.S.-Mexico border between Imperial County, California, and Mexicali, Baja California. Esparragoza’s clients include “Los Chapitos” (as the four sons of captured Sinaloa Cartel leader Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman Loera are collectively known) and the Sinaloa Cartel faction led by Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada Garcia. As of April 2023, Esparragoza’s organization had laundered at least $16.5 million for Sinaloa Cartel clients. Esparragoza controls Tapgas Mexico S.A. de C.V., a company based in Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico.
Mexico-based Alan Viramontes Sesteaga (Viramontes) is a high-ranking member of the Sinaloa Cartel who reports to Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar, one of Los Chapitos. Viramontes is involved in money laundering for the Sinaloa Cartel, establishing straw businesses and business representatives and coordinating large bulk cash pickups on behalf of the organization. Treasury designated Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar pursuant to the Kingpin Act on May 8, 2012 and pursuant to E.O. 14059 on December 15, 2021.
Salvador Diaz Rodriguez (Diaz) and Israel Daniel Paez Vargas (Paez) are Mexicali-based money launderers who operate on behalf of the Sinaloa Cartel. Diaz also works as an enforcer in Mexicali, collecting “taxes” on behalf of a local criminal organization, including through the use of violence; Diaz is known to kill those who do not pay the required amount. Paez is also a recruiter for Alberto David Benguiat Jimenez’s money laundering organization and is involved in laundering money on behalf of the Sinaloa Cartel. On March 31, 2025, the United States District Court for the Southern District of California unsealed an indictment charging Paez with conspiracy to launder monetary instruments and conspiracy to import and distribute methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl. Also on March 31, 2025, the United States District Court for the Southern District of California unsealed an indictment charging Diaz with conspiracy to launder monetary instruments.
Alberto David Benguiat Jimenez (Benguiat) is based in Mexico City and operates a money laundering network moving illicit narcotics proceeds from the United States into Mexico on behalf of the Sinaloa Cartel and OFAC-designated fentanyl trafficker Jose Angel Rivera Zazueta (Rivera), whose drug trafficking organization imports precursor chemicals from China into Mexico to manufacture synthetic drugs, including fentanyl, MDMA (ecstasy), crystal methamphetamine, and ketamine. Benguiat’s network has laundered over $50 million to date. On March 31, 2025, the United States District Court for the Southern District of California unsealed an indictment charging Benguiat with conspiracy to launder monetary instruments and transmit monetary instruments for the purpose of laundering. Christian Noe Amador Valenzuela (Amador) is a close associate of Benguiat who launders money as a part of the network. On March 31, 2025, the United States District Court for the Southern District of California unsealed an indictment charging Amador with conspiracy to launder monetary instruments.
Benguiat’s organization uses a network of front companies and shell corporations to obscure the origins of the money it moves from the United States, including Scatman and Hatman Corp S.A.P.I. de C.V., Personas Unidas Hoas S.A.P.I. de C.V., Grupo Zipfel de Mexico S.A., Grupo Unter Empresarial S.A. de C.V., Productions Pipo S. De R.L. de C.V., and Grupo Vindende S.A. de C.V.
The sanctions require that all individuals and entities designated as money launderers for the Sinaloa Cartel must have their property and assets in the United States blocked and reported to the Office of Foreign Assets Control.
Likewise, entities that are owned at least 50 percent by the designated individuals will also be blocked from operating in the United States. Violations of the sanctions, Bessent warned, will result in criminal or civil prosections.
Also on Monday, the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) sent out an alert requesting big banks to be vigilant on bulk cash smuggling and repatriation by the Mexican drug cartels.
“This Alert supports Treasury’s continuing mission to counter Transnational Criminal Organizations and their illicit activities, and financial institutions are a critical partner in that effort,” FinCEN Director Andrea Gacki said in a statement.
John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jbinder@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter here.
Read the full article here
