U.S. Freezes Assets of Carteles Unidos, Los Viagras Leaders

The U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control on 14 August froze the U.S. assets of the Mexican criminal groups Carteles Unidos and Los Viagras and designated seven of their alleged leaders under counter-narcotics and counter-terrorism authorities. U.S. persons are now barred from conducting any transactions with the sanctioned individuals or entities, and any property they hold within U.S. jurisdiction is blocked. Those targeted include Carteles Unidos figures Juan José “El Abuelo” Farías Álvarez, Luis Enrique “Wicho” Barragán Chávez, Alfonso “Poncho” Fernández Magallón and Edgar Valeriano “El Kamoni” Orozco Cabadas, as well as Los Viagras members Nicolás “El Gordo” Sierra Santana, Heladio “La Sirena” Cisneros Flores and César Alejandro “El Bótox” Sepúlveda Arellano. Washington accuses the two groups of producing and trafficking methamphetamine, cocaine and fentanyl, financing violence in the western state of Michoacán, and extorting farmers in the avocado and citrus industries. Parallel to the Treasury action, the U.S. Department of Justice unsealed indictments against five Carteles Unidos leaders on conspiracy charges to manufacture and distribute narcotics for import into the United States. The agency describes the organization as one of the most prolific methamphetamine producers in Mexico and is offering rewards of up to US$10 million for information leading to the arrest of Farías Álvarez. The latest designations add to a series of measures the Biden administration has taken this year against Mexican cartels that it now labels foreign terrorist organizations.