Today, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Giovanni Vicente Mosquera Serrano (Mosquera Serrano), a fugitive leader of Tren de Aragua (TdA) who is involved in the organization’s drug trafficking and financial operations. TdA is a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) of Venezuelan origin that has launched a campaign of terror throughout the Western Hemisphere, including in the United States, and continues to expand. TdA is involved in illicit drug trade, human smuggling and trafficking, extortion, sexual exploitation of women and children, and money laundering, among other criminal activities. Today’s action is the result of collaboration with Treasury’s government counterparts. It complements the addition of Mosquera Serrano to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)’s Ten Most Wanted list. In addition, the DOJ announced the unsealing of an indictment that charges Mosquera Serrano with drug trafficking and terrorism-related criminal activity. Finally, the Department of State, through the Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program managed by the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, is offering a reward of up to $3 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Mosquera Serrano. Giovanni Vicente Mosquera Serrano (Mosquera Serrano) is a notorious member of Tren de Aragua who has overseen narcotics trafficking efforts and murders on behalf of the gang in Colombia. Mosquera Serrano has additionally been responsible for extortion efforts on Tren de Aragua’s behalf and has managed the financial proceeds of the gang’s criminal activities. Today, OFAC is sanctioning Mosquera Serrano pursuant to E.O. 13581, as amended, and pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Tren de Aragua. E.O. 13224, as amended, targets terrorist groups and their supporters.
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”).
