Mexicali, Mexico; Tijuana, Mexico

Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed sanctions on the Hernandez Salas transnational criminal organization (TCO), a human smuggling organization based in Mexicali, Mexico, as well as several members and entities in its support network. According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, TCOs earn billions of dollars from human smuggling. Most individuals attempting to covertly enter the United States seek assistance organizing transport across the border; smuggling organizations, often associated with other TCOs, take advantage of those individuals by providing services at a significant cost. The Hernandez Salas TCO is a human smuggling organization based in Mexicali, Mexico, that has been responsible for thousands of individuals illegally entering the United States. The Hernandez Salas TCO facilitated the travel of non-citizens from countries posing national security concerns in their efforts to enter the United States without the appropriate vetting processes. The Hernandez Salas TCO is a sophisticated network that has used various methods to smuggle undocumented non-citizens into the United States since at least 2018. Mexican national Ofelia Hernandez Salas (Hernandez Salas) is the leader of the Hernandez Salas TCO. Hernandez Salas and members of her TCO operate a global network of human smugglers that are responsible for the international smuggling of migrants into the United States. U.S. and Mexican authorities estimate victims pay $10,000 to $70,000 for smuggling services. Hernandez Salas and members of her TCO use facilitators in other regions to move migrants to the U.S. border. She is involved in document forgery and corruption in Mexico to smuggle undocumented migrants into the United States via the southern border and has links to the Sinaloa Cartel. Hernandez Salas is incarcerated in Mexico awaiting extradition to the United States. A federal grand jury in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona indicted Hernandez Salas in 2021. OFAC designated the Hernandez Salas TCO pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13581, as amended by E.O. 13863, for being a foreign person that constitutes a significant transnational criminal organization. OFAC designated Ofelia Hernandez Salas pursuant to E.O. 13581, as amended by E.O. 13863, for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial material, or technological support for, or goods or services to, or in support of, the Hernandez Salas TCO, and for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, the Hernandez Salas TCO. OFAC designated Raul Saucedo Huipio, Jesus Gerardo Chavez Tamayo, Fatima Del Rocio Maldonado Lopez, and Federico Hernandez Sanchez pursuant to E.O. 13581, as amended by E.O. 13863, for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in in support of, the Hernandez Salas TCO. Lastly, the Hernandez Salas TCO uses Mexican entities Hotel Plaza and Hotel Las Torres to conduct human smuggling activities. OFAC designated Hotel Plaza and Hotel Las Torres pursuant to E.O. 13581, as amended by E.O. 13863, for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in in support of, the Hernandez Salas TCO.

https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy1545

2023-06-16

US

Transnational Criminal Organizations Sanctions Regulations, 31 C.F.R. part 590; Executive Order 13581 of July 24, 2011 Blocking Property of Transnational Criminal Organizations

OFAC-horizontal

Criminal organizations

Blocking Property

On January 12, 2012, OFAC issued the Transnational Criminal Organizations Sanctions Regulations, 31 CFR part 590 (77 FR 1864, January 12, 2012) (the “Regulations”), to implement Executive Order (E.O.) 13581 of July 24, 2011, “Blocking Property of Transnational Criminal Organizations” (76 FR 44757, July 27, 2011), pursuant to authorities delegated to the Secretary of the Treasury in E.O. 13581. The Regulations were initially issued in abbreviated form for the purpose of providing immediate guidance to the public. OFAC amended the Regulations on July 23, 2019 (84 FR 35307, July 23, 2019) to implement E.O. 13863 of March 15, 2019, “Taking Additional Steps to Address the National Emergency With Respect to Significant Transnational Criminal Organizations” (84 FR 10255, March 19, 2019), which amended E.O. 13581. OFAC is amending and reissuing the Regulations as a more comprehensive set of regulations that includes additional interpretive guidance and definitions, general licenses, and other regulatory provisions that will provide further guidance to the public. Due to the number of regulatory sections being updated or added, OFAC is reissuing the Regulations in their entirety. E.O. 13581 On July 24, 2011, the President, invoking the authority of, inter alia, the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) (IEEPA), issued E.O. 13581. In E.O. 13581, the President found that the activities of significant transnational criminal organizations, such as those listed in the Annex to E.O. 13581, have reached such scope and gravity that they threaten the stability of international political and economic systems. The President further found that such organizations are becoming increasingly sophisticated and dangerous to the United States; they are increasingly entrenched in the operations of foreign governments and the international financial system, thereby weakening democratic institutions, degrading the rule of law, and undermining economic markets. The President stated these organizations facilitate and aggravate violent civil conflicts and increasingly facilitate the activities of other dangerous persons. The President determined that the activities of significant transnational criminal organizations constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States and declared a national emergency to deal with that threat.

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