The Trump administration on Thursday sanctioned eight people and 12 Mexico-based companies affiliated with the Sinaloa Cartel’s Los Chapitos faction, which has been accused of being responsible for a large share of deadly drugs trafficked into the U.S.
The network has been accused of supplying fentanyl precursor chemicals to the Sinaloa Cartel, which President Donald Trump in a January executive order declared a foreign terrorist organization and a specially designated global terrorist group.
“Our investigation and the resulting Treasury [Department] sanctions demonstrate our unwavering commitment to dismantling the Sinaloa Cartel, a violent criminal enterprise responsible for trafficking fentanyl, precursor chemicals and other deadly drugs into the United States,” Michael McCarthy, special agent in charge of the Newark, New Jersey, office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, said Thursday in a news release.
“By targeting the cartel’s financial networks, HSI and our law enforcement partners strike at the very core of their operations, disrupting their capacity to harm communities and underscoring that those who threaten our national security will be held fully accountable,” McCarthy said.
Among the companies sanctioned by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control was Sumilab, a Mexican chemical and laboratory equipment company accused of supplying precursor chemicals to Sinaloa Cartel members and associates.
The department said Sumilab, run by the Favela Lopez family, was first sanctioned in May 2023 under its counternarcotics authorities.
In addition to Sumilab, the Department of the Treasury said the Favela Lopez family operates a network of chemical, laboratory, and agriculture-related companies, including seven others sanctioned by OFAC: Agrolaren, Viand, Favelab, Favela Pro, Fagalab, Qui Lab, and Storelab.
“Over 500,000 Americans have died of fentanyl poisoning,” John Hurley, the Treasury Department’s undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said Monday in a news release.
“President Trump has made clear that stopping the deadly flow of drugs into our country is a top national security priority. Under Secretary [Scott] Bessent’s leadership, the Treasury Department is committed to dismantling the complex financial networks that support these terrorist organizations.”
OFAC also sanctioned Martha Emilia Conde Uraga, known as “Martita,” a longtime cartel-affiliated chemical broker operating in and around Culiacán, Mexico.
She and her family allegedly run several businesses under sanction, including the chemical and industrial cleaning companies Viosma and Prolimph, the health company Salud, and the real estate firm Roco.
Treasury said all U.S.-based property and assets belonging to the sanctioned individuals and companies are blocked and must be reported to OFAC. Any entities owned 50% or more by a blocked person are automatically covered by the sanctions.
OFAC regulations prohibit U.S. people and financial institutions from conducting transactions involving blocked people or their assets unless specifically authorized. Violations can result in severe civil or criminal penalties.
Treasury officials emphasized that the goal of sanctions is not punishment but to encourage compliance and behavioral change under U.S. law.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.
