Press "Enter" to skip to content

U.S. authorities tie arms trafficker to major Mexican drug cartel

Mexico City, Mexico — The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has tied one man, they say, is an arms trafficker, to a major drug cartel.

In a July 11 statement, the U.S. Department of the Treasury identified a CJNG member operating along the U.S-Mexico border. They say he moves high-caliber firearms and ammunition southbound into Mexico.

The OFC says Obed Christian Sepulveda Portillo, a Mexican national, is an individual engaged in the trafficking of high-caliber firearms from the United States to one of Mexico’s most powerful drug organizations.

Obed Christian Sepulveda Portillo was designated pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 14059 for acting for or on behalf of the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG), a violent drug trafficking organization based in Mexico responsible for a significant proportion of fentanyl and other deadly drugs trafficked into the United States.

In their statement, they said “today’s action is the result of ongoing efforts by U.S. agencies and the Government of Mexico to disrupt Mexican drug trafficking organizations’ procurement of weapons, including those sourced in the United States.

“This action would not have been possible without the cooperation and support of the Government of Mexico, the Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) division, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).”

Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson said the “CJNG’s power and violence are only possible because of its ability to obtain high-powered weapons, which are used to protect drug trafficking routes, territory, and other illicit assets.

“Treasury is actively targeting those who support and supply drug trafficking and criminal organizations, especially those engaged in the production and distribution of synthetic opioids that claim the lives of tens of thousands of Americans each year.”

Obed Sepulveda is accused of coordinating the daily procurement of firearms and bulk ammunition from the U.S. southwest border into Mexico through a network of individuals working directly with CJNG.