Biden sanctions 3 Mexicans over drug trafficking allegations

Aug. 10 (UPI) -- Three Mexican men accused of trafficking drugs, including fentanyl, into the United States, have been sanctioned by the Biden administration, as it continues to target the infamous Sinaloa Cartel as part of its strategy to curb the nation's overdose epidemic.

The three men, identified as Rafael Guadalupe Felix Nuñez, 44, and brothers Alfonso Arzate Garcia, 49, and Rene Arzate Garcia, 40, were hit with asset freezes and travel bans Wednesday in an action taken by the U.S. Treasury in coordination with Mexico, the federal agency said.

"Today's action targets key individuals responsible for facilitating the illicit trafficking of deadly drugs, including fentanyl, into the United States, where it wreaks havoc on our communities," Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson said in a statement.

The sanctions were imposed a little less a month after the Biden administration hit multiple people and entities connected to the Mexican drug cartel with sanctions over their associations with brothers Luis and Ludim Alfanso Zamudio Lerma, who are suppliers of precursor chemicals used in the manufacturing of drugs.

The actions come after the Biden administration in April said it was taking steps to cut off fentanyl supply chains with the use of it financial vises.

The White House had said in early spring that the primary mission was to target traffickers to stem the flow of illegal drugs making their way onto U.S. streets.

The Arzate Garcia brothers, who have been charged in the United States with drug trafficking, are accused of managing the Sinaloa Cartel's drug trafficking operations in the border city of Tijuana as well as the surrounding municipalities. The Treasury said they are involved in importing "large quantities" of drugs into the United States and have been involved in kidnappings and executions as part of so-called enforcement operations.

Longtime hitman for the cartel, Felix Nuñez was arrested by Mexican authorities in November based of a 2014 U.S. drug trafficking indictment, but he escaped in 2017 and has since been a Sinaloa leader in the Mexican port city of Manzanillo, where drugs and precursor chemicals find their way into North America while others leave the transport hub for the United States.

"Today's @USTreasury action demonstrates the U.S. commitment to disrupting and dismantling all facets of the illicit narcotics trade," U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on X, the social media organization formally known as Twitter.

"Our unwavering goal is to combat the proliferation of fentanyl and other perilous drugs and prevent them from infiltrating our communities."