The U.S. Department of the Treasury singled out several key leaders and businesses tied to the Mayos faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, including a former mayor in the Mexican state of Baja California. The move targets accounts and money laundering operations, including hotels, restaurants, and bars in the popular beach destination of Rosarito, Baja California.
In their most recent move, U.S. Treasury officials moved to sanction several key leaders of the Mayos faction of the Sinaloa Cartel and their businesses. The sanctions not only freeze any accounts and assets they may have in the United States but also prohibit U.S. citizens and companies from doing business with them. In June, U.S. Treasury officials took similar actions against the Chapitos faction of the Sinaloa Cartel.
The Sinaloa Cartel’s internal war erupted last year after Los Chapitos—sons of imprisoned kingpin Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán—allegedly orchestrated the arrest of longtime patriarch Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, triggering a violent split between the cartel’s two dominant factions and reshaping Mexico’s criminal landscape.
The Trump Administration has labeled the Sinaloa Cartel as a foreign terrorist organization and accused it of being one of the leading producers and smugglers of fentanyl. Several members of the Sinaloa Cartel have pending indictments in the United States, not only for drug trafficking and money laundering charges, but specifically for fentanyl related cases.
In their most recent action, the U.S. Treasury listed Juan Jose “El Ruso” Ponce Felix as the leader and founder of the main armed wing of the Mayos. Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of State announced a $5 million reward for his capture.
U.S. officials also listed Alfonso Arzate Garcia and Rene Arzate Garcia as the leaders for Los Mayos in Rosarito, Baja California, which is a popular beach resort area in Mexico’s West Coast. In addition to controlling numerous businesses there, the Arzate brothers and their associates also oversee the smuggling of drugs north into California.
The list from the U.S. Treasury also identifies Mario Alberto Herrera Sanchez and his brother Karlo Omar Herrera Sanchez as key operators for Los Mayos.
U.S. authorities also identified several businesses tied to the organization that are controlled by Jesus Gonzalez Lomeli — a local business magnate and developer.
Treasury officials accused former Rosarito Mayor Hilda Aracely Brown and a political operative named Candelario Arcega Aguirre of having worked with the Sinaloa Cartel. He is also being sanctioned. Officials claim that during her term in office, Brown used her position to benefit the Mayos faction of the cartel.
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart News Foundation. He co-founded Breitbart News Foundation’s Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com.
Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart News Foundation’s Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.
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