On July 18, 2024, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control designated the Abdul Karim Conteh Human Smuggling Organization (“Karim HSO”), a Mexico-based transnational criminal organization (“TCO”) allegedly responsible for smuggling noncitizens into the United States. OFAC also designated members of the group that hold critical roles within the organization, including the group’s leader Abdul Karim Conteh (“Karim”), a Sierra Leonean national, and his wife Veronica Roblero Pivaral, a Mexican national. According to OFAC, Karim and his group have deliberately violated U.S. immigration laws by supporting the transport and harbor of noncitizens who are in the U.S. illegally. The organization has reportedly helped transport migrants to the U.S. border, advised them on how the cross the border illegally, and provided them with fraudulent documents once in the United States. Karim HSO members have also allegedly leveraged the U.S. financial system to receive payments for their illegal smuggling operations.
The designations were imposed pursuant to Executive Order 13851, as amended, for being a foreign person that constitutes a significant TCO or has acted on behalf of Karim HSO. As a result of these designations, all property and interests in property of the designees within the United States or within the possession or control of a U.S. person are blocked, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions involving the designated persons. Entities owned 50 percent or more by one or more designated persons are also blocked.
On the same day, the Department of Justice announced that it unsealed an indictment charging Karim for his role in the illegal smuggling operation. Karim was arrested in Tijuana, Mexico on July 11, 2024 at the request of the United States – an action made possible through the extensive cooperation between U.S. and Mexican law enforcement authorities. According to the indictment, Karim’s organization has smuggled migrants into the United States from counties around the world, including Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Turkey, Ethiopia, Egypt and others. The DOJ also reported that Karim’s wife, remains at large.
U.S. Department of Treasury Press Release | DOJ Press Release | Indictment