Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
U.S. sanctions Sinaloa ‘Los Chapitos’ network and charities tied to Hamas, PFLP
Loading...
Summary
At a State Department briefing, the spokesperson announced new U.S. sanctions targeting a Mexico-based Sinaloa Cartel faction and multiple charities described as financing Hamas and the PFLP, and said the department will work to prevent abuse of the nonprofit sector by terrorist organizations.
U.S. Department of State spokesperson Tammy announced that the United States has sanctioned a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel known as Los Chapitos, its two fugitive leaders and an associated regional network of businesses based in Mazatlán, Mexico, saying the network engages in “drug trafficking, extortion, kidnapping, and money laundering.”
The announcement came as part of broader remarks on U.S. actions to disrupt illicit fentanyl manufacture and trafficking. Tammy said, “The United States is committed to disrupting the illicit manufacturer and trafficking of fentanyl, a leading cause of death of people aged 18 to 49 in the United States.”
Tammy told reporters the State Department is also designating five individuals and five sham charities for financially supporting Hamas, and is targeting a fraudulent charity linked to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). “The United States will use all available tools to prevent abuse of the nonprofit sector for the benefit of terrorist groups like Hamas and the PFLP,” she said, adding the goal of ensuring “humanitarian aid can in fact be delivered by reliable and safe organizations.”
Why it matters: The sanctions target criminal revenue streams and entities the department says facilitate terrorist financing; such actions are meant to limit funds that enable trafficking and violent activity and to protect humanitarian delivery by legitimate organizations.
Details and context: The spokesperson linked the cartel sanctions to the broader U.S. effort to reduce fentanyl flows into the United States. She identified Mazatlán, Mexico, as the base of the designated network and described the network’s activities as including extortion and money laundering. On the charity designations, she said the measures aim to prevent “abuse of the nonprofit sector” but did not release the names of the five charities or individuals during the briefing.
What the department said about implementation: Tammy described these actions as part of a “whole-of-government” approach and said the State Department will continue to work “to protect our nation by keeping illicit drugs off our streets and disrupting the revenue streams funding Mexico-based cartels, violent, and criminal activity.” She did not provide implementation timelines or identify follow-on actions in the briefing.
Evidence: The sanctions and designations were described on the record at the briefing by State Department spokesperson Tammy.
Ending: The spokesperson said the department will continue coordinated action with other agencies to disrupt trafficking and to block channels that finance terrorism, and to protect legitimate humanitarian operations.
