2386707240101, National ID No.;
238670724, Passport
Official reason
Today, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Alberto Pimentel Mata (Pimentel) for his role in exploiting the Guatemalan mining sector through widespread bribery schemes, including schemes related to government contracts and mining licenses. Pimentel is being designated pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13818, which builds upon and implements the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act and targets perpetrators of serious human rights abuse and corruption around the world. Today’s action follows the Department of State’s October 2023 announcement of visa restriction on Pimentel and other individuals for their involvement in significant corruption. Pimentel became the Minister of Energy and Mining in January 2020 and resigned from this position in July 2023. As Minister, Pimentel engaged in numerous corruption schemes related to government contracts and licenses. Additionally, Pimentel reportedly accepted large monthly payments to facilitate the acquisition of necessary permits and licenses for a private company operating in the energy and mining sector of Guatemala.
In another instance, Pimentel reportedly received a large illicit payment to begin the consultation process with local communities in El Estor, Izabal, Guatemala for the benefit of private entities. Separately, he reportedly requested large bribes of more than $1 million from mining industry groups in Guatemala in exchange for mining licenses.
Pimentel reportedly misused his position by agreeing with a private company in Guatemala to write the terms of reference for an upcoming tender to favor the prospective bidder. Pimentel also reportedly took payments in exchange for accepting a bid for a contract from a local company with no experience in the project activities. The winning bidder not only lacked experience, but the offer had a significantly higher price than the bid from a more experienced incumbent. Additionally, Pimentel reportedly engaged in retaliation against companies operating in the Guatemalan energy and mining sector that would not offer to pay him bribes.
Pimentel is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13818 for being a foreign person who is a current or former government official, or person acting for or on behalf of such an official, who is responsible for or complicit in, or who has directly or indirectly engaged in, corruption, including the misappropriation of state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain, corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural resources, or bribery.
On December 23, 2016, the President signed the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act (Pub. L. 114-328, Title XII, Subtitle F) (the “Act”) into law. The Act authorized the President to impose targeted sanctions on any foreign person the President determines is, among other things, responsible for extrajudicial killings, torture, or other gross violations of internationally recognized human rights, or a government official, or a senior associate of such an official, responsible for, or complicit in, ordering, controlling, or otherwise directing, acts of significant corruption.
On December 20, 2017, the President, invoking the authority of, inter alia, the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701-1706) (IEEPA), issued Executive Order 13818 (82 FR 60839, December 26, 2017) (E.O. 13818), effective at 12:01 a.m. eastern standard time on December 21, 2017.
In E.O. 13818, the President determined that serious human rights abuse and corruption around the world 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.
OFAC is issuing the Global Magnitsky Sanctions Regulations, 31 CFR part 583 (the “Regulations”), to implement the Act and E.O. 13818, pursuant to authorities delegated to the Secretary of the Treasury in E.O. 13818. A copy of E.O. 13818 appears in appendix A to this part.
