Federal authorities announced Wednesday they have placed financial sanctions on over a dozen individuals and businesses allegedly connected to the Sinaloa cartel’s deadly fentanyl trafficking operations.
The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control focused on Jesus Gonzalez Penuelas, a fugitive also called Chuy Gonzalez, who officials say is involved in smuggling narcotics into the United States and washing money for the criminal organization. The State Department has maintained a $5 million bounty for information leading to his capture since 2024.
The sanctions also target Armando de Jesus Ojeda Aviles, who authorities claim assists in cleaning drug proceeds for the cartel’s benefit.
Among the businesses sanctioned is Gorditas Chiwas, a restaurant located in Chihuahua that operates under the control of previously sanctioned businessman Alfredo Orozco Romero.
These financial penalties disconnect the targets from American banking systems, prohibit business dealings with U.S. citizens, and freeze any American assets they may hold. Officials have not disclosed how deeply these individuals and companies are integrated into U.S. financial networks.
Treasury Scott Bessent stated that Treasury “will continue to target terrorist cartels and their fentanyl trafficking networks to protect our communities and Keep America Safe.”
The synthetic opioid fentanyl represents the most lethal drug threat facing America currently. Just 2 milligrams entering the human body can cause death.
Though drug overdose fatalities rose dramatically over the past twenty years, climbing roughly 520% between 1999 and 2023, recent CDC statistics show overdose deaths dropping nearly 3% from 2022 to 2023.
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, which fights illegal drug smuggling, Mexico and China serve as the main sources for fentanyl and related substances entering the United States directly. Chinese companies supply virtually all the chemical ingredients required for fentanyl production, frequently using false return addresses and incorrect product labels to evade law enforcement detection.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly proposed deploying American military forces against the cartels, and his administration classified the Sinaloa cartel as a terrorist organization in 2025.
Mexico’s financial intelligence division collaborated with Treasury officials and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration to identify the targets of Wednesday’s sanctions.
