MEXICO CITY (dpa-AFX) - The United States has imposed sanctions on La Mayiza, a menacing faction of the Sinaloa Cartel. The cartel's La Mayiza faction, also known as 'Los Mayos', manages the production and trafficking of fentanyl, cocaine, marijuana, heroin, and methamphetamine from northwest Mexico into the United States.
Thursday, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control designated Los Mayos, along with the leader of the faction's armed wing, Juan José Ponce Félix. Also known as Jesus Alexandro Sanchez Felix and El Ruso, he is the leader of La Mayiza's primary armed wing, and one of the cartel's regional networks engaged in fentanyl production.
On September 16, the Department of State's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement affairs announced a reward offer of up to $5 million under the Narcotics Rewards Program for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Ponce Félix.
The U.S. Government announced these sanctions following Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence John K. Hurley's visit to the U.S.-Mexico border.
OFAC also designated five individuals and 15 companies in connection with one of Los Mayos' regional networks operating just south of the U.S.-Mexico border.
The Los Mayos faction is responsible for producing and trafficking of fentanyl, cocaine, marijuana, heroin, and methamphetamine from northwest Mexico into the United States. In Rosarito, Baja California, Los Mayos is involved in kidnapping, extortion, money laundering, and local government corruption. Due to its proximity to the U.S. border, Rosarito and the surrounding areas form a key artery for Sinaloa Cartel's drug trafficking operations.
Composed of persons aligned with El Mayo, the Los Mayos faction of the Sinaloa Cartel rivals the Los Chapitos faction. Los Mayos maintains a strong presence in the Mexican states of Baja California, Sonora, and Zacatecas. Through various alliances, Los Mayos has trafficked illicit fentanyl, methamphetamine, heroin, marijuana, and cocaine, which are smuggled into the United States. Turf wars between Los Mayos and Los Chapitos have resulted in the deaths of over a thousand people in the Mexican state of Sinaloa.
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