WASHINGTON – On Thursday, the Trump administration intensified its efforts against the Jalisco New Generation Cartel by imposing economic sanctions on three individuals and two entities based in Mexico engaged in drug trafficking and fuel theft. This powerful cartel, one of Mexico’s most influential, reportedly has approximately 19,000 members according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. It emerged as a dominant and violent force after breaking away from the Sinaloa cartel following the military’s killing of Sinaloa capo Ignacio “Nacho” Coronel Villarreal in 2010.
The recent sanctions focus on the group’s fuel theft operations led by top members Cesar Morfin Morfin and his brothers, Alvaro Noe Morfin Morfin and Remigio Morfin Morfin. The U.S. Department of the Treasury asserts that this fuel theft network has led to considerable financial losses for the Mexican government and is instrumental in funding the smuggling of illicit fentanyl into the United States.
With these sanctions in place, any assets held by the targeted individuals or entities within the United States are frozen, and American citizens are barred from conducting business with them. The administration has prioritized combatting the drug flow linked to numerous overdose fatalities annually.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent emphasized the department’s commitment to using all available measures to tackle drug cartels and foreign terror entities, echoing the sentiment to “Make America Safe Again.” Paul Anthony Perez, president of the National Border Patrol Council, supported the sanctions, indicating they would restrict the financial resources of these cartels and disrupt their operations on both sides of the border.
Earlier in the year, the administration classified the Jalisco New Generation group as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and Specially Designated Global Terrorist. The sanctions were the eighth such action by the Trump administration against cartels. While it initiated the sanctions, the Biden administration has continued similar measures against the group.
The cartel is under the leadership of Nemesio Rubén “el Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, for whom the U.S. has announced a $15 million bounty for information leading to his apprehension.
In Mexico, President Claudia Sheinbaum addressed the crackdown on fuel theft and smuggling, mentioning legislative efforts to enhance government oversight to trace fuel shipments efficiently. She stated, “So that any tanker truck carrying fuel, whichever kind, we know: where it came from; where it’s going; if it’s imported, with what import permit did it enter, where was it stored, and from there to which service station is it going to be taken.” She explained the need for accountability if a tanker is found with stolen pipeline fuel and cannot verify the origin.
The White House has associated the issue of fentanyl with President Donald Trump’s tariff strategies, articulating the administration’s stance on holding Mexico, Canada, and China accountable for their commitments to curb illegal immigration and stop the flow of hazardous drugs into the U.S.