The US, now against the Nueva Familia Michoacana: sanctions a leader for fentanyl trafficking

The group is accused by US authorities of smuggling illegal drugs into and within the United States.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the United States Department of the Treasury sanctioned La Nueva Familia Michoacana and its co-leaders, Johnny Hurtado Olascoaga and José Alfredo Hurtado Olascoaga, for international drug trafficking.

Through a statement, the agency accused the criminal group of smuggling illegal drugs into and within the United States , in addition to accusing them of participating in fentanyl trafficking.

The Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence of the Department of the Treasury, Brian E. Nelson, affirmed that “La Nueva Familia Michoacana is one of the most violent drug cartels , which traffic fentanyl, the deadly synthetic opioid.”

In addition, the specific body that this organized crime group is behind the proliferation of the so-called ‘ rainbow fentanyl’ in the United States, named for the different colors of the pills.

“Specifically, La Nueva Familia Michoacana dyes fentanyl pills blue, purple and pink with a crown print in order to mask the deadly drug as candy in order to attract children and youth,” the organization detailed.

Another cartel sanctioned by the US

In October, the US also punished the Mexican  Juan Francisco Valenzuela and the drug trafficking organization he runs, ‘Los Valenzuela’ , which works for the Sinaloa Cartel.

“Originally established as a transportation cell, the Valenzuela organization has become  a sophisticated network  that has become indispensable to the leadership of the Sinaloa Cartel,” OFAC said in making the announcement.

He recalled that the name of the organization is in honor of the family that facilitated his prominent rise.

In addition to the Valenzuela organization and its leader, the Mexicans  Héctor Alfonso Araujo Peralta and Raúl Rivas Chaires were also appointed , as well as three companies.