US sanctions 4th son of notorious drug trafficker 'El Chapo'

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - The US imposed sanctions Tuesday on another son of convicted Mexican drug trafficker Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, as well as three other Sinaloa Cartel members and two entities.

The decision to blacklist Joaquin Guzman Lopez marks the fourth son of El Chapo, collectively known as Los Chapitos, who has run been designated by US authorities. The brothers had previously been indicted on US drug trafficking charges.

All four sought to take a leadership role in the cartel following their father's arrest and conviction in the US, the Treasury Department said in a statement.

The agency said Guzman Lopez is responsible for operations at the cartel's "super labs," and in trafficking narcotics to the US.

In addition, the US is sanctioning Raymundo Perez Uribe, who runs a supply network for the cartel, drug shipment coordinator Saul Paez Lopez and Mario Esteban Ogazon Sedano, who purchases drug precursors and runs drug labs, the agency said.

Sumilab, S.A. de C.V., a Culican-based chemical and lab equipment company, is also being blacklisted for supplying the cartel with precursor chemicals, according to the Treasury.

Urbanizacion, Inmobiliaria y Construccion de Obras, S.A. de C.V., a real estate firm, is being placed under US penalties for being owned by Ogazon Sedano.

“Today’s action continues to disrupt key nodes of the global illicit fentanyl enterprise, including the producers, suppliers, and transporters,” said Brian Nelson, the department's top official for financial intelligence.

“Treasury, in close coordination with the Government of Mexico and U.S. law enforcement, will continue to leverage our authorities to isolate and disrupt Los Chapitos and the Sinaloa Cartel’s operations at every juncture," he added.​​​​​​​