Last week, the Department of the Treasury's OFAC issued a press release to announce the decision to impose sanctions on three Belgian and one Mexican nationals. Aimed at disrupting their critical roles in international cocaine and fentanyl trafficking.
"Today's actions underscore the importance of our collective efforts to disrupt the global illicit drug trade," U.S. Department of Treasury Under Secretary Brian E. Nelson.
According to a press release issued on July 19, the Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) took decisive action by imposing sanctions on three Belgian nationals and one Mexican national involved in international drug trafficking, specifically cocaine and fentanyl. These individuals were identified as key players in the importation and distribution of narcotics destined for both U.S. and European markets.
In Belgium, Othman El Ballouti, a high-level drug trafficker, leads an international criminal organization that smuggles substantial amounts of cocaine through the Port of Antwerp for wide distribution across Europe. His network involves money laundering and connections to South American cocaine suppliers, as well as businesses in the People's Republic of China, including a previously designated Ecuadorian national, Wilder Emilio Sanchez Farfan. Othman's brother, Younes El Ballouti, and his associate, Youssef Ben Azza, are also part of this drug trafficking organization. Younes El Ballouti has already been sentenced to an 8-year prison term in Belgium for multiple drug shipments. Youssef Ben Azza assists Othman in establishing legitimate front companies to conceal their illegal activities. All three individuals are wanted by Belgian authorities for cocaine trafficking and are believed to be residing in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to avoid prosecution.
Furthermore, the OFAC's actions targeted Franco Tabarez Martinez, a Mexican national involved in fentanyl-related trafficking in Guerrero, Mexico. Martinez operates in partnership with the La Nueva Familia Michoacana drug trafficking organization, previously designated by OFAC in November 2022. Martinez is responsible for distributing cocaine, fentanyl, and methamphetamine to the United States, with Atlanta, Georgia, and Houston, Texas, being among the major destinations. He also oversees methamphetamine laboratories in Mexico and receives fentanyl powder from the PRC.
These sanctions come at a critical juncture when drug overdose deaths have witnessed a concerning surge. According to the CDC, from 2019 to 2020, drug overdose deaths increased by 56%, and fentanyl accounted for over 82% of all opioid-involved deaths in 2020. Among the opioids, synthetic opioid-involved deaths (excluding methadone) experienced an increase during the same period, indicating the severity of the opioid crisis.
By targeting the financial lifelines of these organizations, the U.S. government aims to disrupt their operations, reduce the availability of illegal drugs on the streets, and ultimately save lives.