On July 11, 2022, the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control designated Obed Christian Sepulveda Portillo for trafficking high-caliber firearms from the US to the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG), one of Mexico’s most powerful drug organizations. Sepulveda, a Mexican national, was designated pursuant to Executive Order 14059 for acting for or on behalf of the CJNG, a US designated drug trafficking group. OFAC reports that Sepulveda is responsible for the daily procurement of firearms and bulk ammunition for the CJNG through the US southwest border using a network of individuals directly associated with the CJNG. The CJNG was previously designated by OFAC in 2015 pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Action and was more recently designated in December 2021 pursuant to EO 14059.
As a result of these designations, all property and interests in property of today’s designees within the United States or within the possession or control of a US person are blocked, and US persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions involving the designated persons unless authorized by OFAC. US persons may also face civil or criminal penalties for violating EO 14059.