Operating from Sinaloa, Mexico, Armando de Jesus Ojeda Aviles (Ojeda Aviles) is the head of a network involved in laundering the illicit proceeds of the Sinaloa Cartel’s drug trafficking activities, including from illicit fentanyl sales. He is affiliated with Los Chapitos. Specifically, Ojeda Aviles has coordinated the collection of bulk quantities of cash in the United States—the proceeds of fentanyl and other illicit drug sales. He then facilitates the conversion of this bulk cash into cryptocurrency for ultimate transfer to the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico. Ojeda Aviles took over as the primary launderer for Los Chapitos after the murder of Mario Alberto Jimenez Castro, whom OFAC designated on September 26, 2023, citing Jimenez Castro’s use of digital currency and wire transfers, among other methods, to transfer proceeds from illicit fentanyl sales in the United States to Sinaloa Cartel leaders in Mexico. In addition to laundering drug proceeds, Ojeda Aviles is also directly involved in overseeing shipments of narcotics into the United States, including illicit fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine. Ojeda Aviles’s network is composed of Mexico-based drug suppliers, as well as U.S.-based couriers who conduct money pickups.A close associate of Ojeda Aviles, Jesus Alonso Aispuro Felix (Aispuro Felix) is the chief money broker for this drug trafficking and money laundering network. He is responsible for brokering bulk transfers of drug proceeds through digital currency addresses.Businessman Alfredo Orozco Romero serves as a security advisor to Ojeda Aviles and acts as a debt collector for money owed on cocaine shipments. OFAC designated Ojeda Aviles and Aispuro Felix pursuant to E.O. 14059 for having provided, or attempted to provide, financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services in support of, the Sinaloa Cartel. They are also being designated pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, the Sinaloa Cartel. OFAC designated Alfredo Orozco Romero for having provided, or attempted to provide, financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services in support of, Ojeda Aviles. He is also being designated pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, Ojeda Aviles.
On June 6, 2003, OFAC issued the Global Terrorism Sanctions Regulations, 31 CFR part 594 (68 FR 34196, June 6, 2003 (“the Regulations”), to implement Executive Order (E.O.) 13224 of September 23, 2001, “Blocking Property and Prohibiting Transactions With Persons Who Commit, Threaten To Commit, or Support Terrorism” (66 FR 49079, September 25, 2001). OFAC has amended the Regulations on several occasions.
On September 9, 2019, the President, invoking the authority of, inter alia, the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701–1706) (IEEPA) and the United Nations Participation Act (22 U.S.C. 287c) (UNPA), issued E.O. 13886, “Modernizing Sanctions To Combat Terrorism” (84 FR 48041, September 12, 2019), effective September 10, 2019. In E.O. 13886, the President, finding it necessary to consolidate and enhance sanctions to combat acts of terrorism and threats of terrorism by foreign terrorists, terminated the national emergency declared in E.O. 12947 of January 23, 1995, “Prohibiting Transactions With Terrorists Who Threaten To Disrupt the Middle East Peace Process” (60 FR 5079, January 25, 1995), and revoked E.O. 12947, as amended by E.O. 13099 of August 20, 1998, “Prohibiting Transactions With Terrorists Who Threaten To Disrupt the Middle East Peace Process” (63 FR 45167, August 25, 1998). In addition, the President amended E.O. 13224, in order to build upon initial steps taken in E.O. 12947, to further strengthen and consolidate sanctions to combat the continuing threat posed by international terrorism, and in order to take additional steps to deal with the national emergency declared in E.O. 13224, with respect to the continuing and immediate threat of grave acts of terrorism and threats of terrorism committed by foreign terrorists, which include acts of terrorism that threaten the Middle East peace process.
Section 1 of E.O. 13886 replaces in its entirety section 1 of E.O. 13224, which had been amended by a number of prior Executive orders (E.O. 13224, as amended by all such authorities, is referred to herein as “amended E.O. 13224”), but does not amend the Annex to E.O. 13224, which was previously amended by E.O. 13268 of July 2, 2002, “Termination of Emergency With Respect to the Taliban and Amendment of Executive Order 13224 of September 23, 2001” (67 FR 44751, July 3, 2002) (“amended Annex to E.O. 13224”).
