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The Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned three Belgian nationals and one Mexican national for international drug trafficking, including cocaine and fentanyl. Those designated today are involved in the importation and distribution of narcotics destined for US and European markets.
“Today’s actions underscore the importance of our collective efforts to disrupt the global illicit drug trade,” said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson. “Treasury, in close coordination with our law enforcement partners, will continue to target the drug facilitators that threaten the lives of hundreds of thousands in the United States and around the globe every year.”
Franco Tabarez Martinez
Franco Tabarez Martinez, a narcotics trafficker operating in Guerrero, Mexico, works in alliance with La Nueva Familia Michoacana drug trafficking organization, which was designated by OFAC in November 2022.
Tabarez Martinez distributes cocaine, fentanyl, and methamphetamine to the United States, including Atlanta, Georgia, and Houston, Texas. In addition, Tabarez Martinez manages methamphetamine laboratories in Mexico and has received fentanyl powder from the PRC [China].
On July 7, 2023, an indictment charging Tabarez Martinez with drug trafficking, among other charges, was unsealed in the Northern District of Georgia.
Tabarez Martinez was previously imprisoned in the United States for drug trafficking. According to reports, he served a sentence of more than 12 months for the distribution of methamphetamine. Tabarez Martínez, 49 is originally from Coyuca de Catalán, Guerrero.
US authorities identify La Nueva Familia Michoacana as the successor to the criminal organization La Familia Michoacana, which was designated in 2009 and in 2021 for its involvement in drug trafficking. Last year, its leaders, brothers Johnny, and José Hurtado Olascoaga, were sanctioned in the US as well and have been tied to "rainbow fentanyl" that has been seized recently.
Othman El Ballouti manages an international criminal organization that smuggles significant quantities of cocaine via shipping containers through the Port of Antwerp in Belgium for wider distribution throughout Europe. Their cocaine supplier also supplied cocaine to the Sinaloa and CJNG cartels.
Othman El Ballouti’s money laundering and narcotics supply chain networks are linked to businesses based in the People’s Republic of China (PRC), as well as South American cocaine suppliers, including Ecuadorian national Wilder "Gato" Emilio Sanchez Farfan, who OFAC designated in February 2022. Sanchez Farfan was arrested in Colombia in February of this year. He was reported to be Ecuador's most prolific cocaine trafficker.
Sanchez Farfan was a major cocaine source supplier to the Sinaloa Cartel. He uses associates in Mexico to facilitate multi-ton cocaine shipments to Sinaloa Cartel members in Culiacan, Manzanillo, and Ensenada in Mexico. Additionally, Sanchez Farfan has sent representatives of his organization to Mexico to meet with members of the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG) to establish a working relationship to import multi-ton quantities of cocaine into Mexico from Ecuador.
Younes El Ballouti serves as a manager in his brother’s narcotics trafficking organization. In January 2023, Younes El Ballouti was sentenced, in absentia, to an 8-year prison term in Belgium for his involvement in multiple drug shipments.
Youssef Ben Azza, who has been involved in drug trafficking for over a decade, assists Othman El Ballouti in establishing ostensibly legitimate companies, which are created to conceal the organization’s involvement in illicit activities.
Currently, Othman El Ballouti, Younes El Ballouti, and Youssef Ben Azza are wanted by Belgian authorities for cocaine trafficking. They are believed to be living in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in an attempt to evade prosecution.
Source OFAC
Tabarez Martinez distributes cocaine, fentanyl, and methamphetamine to the United States, including Atlanta, Georgia, and Houston, Texas. In addition, Tabarez Martinez manages methamphetamine laboratories in Mexico and has received fentanyl powder from the PRC [China].
On July 7, 2023, an indictment charging Tabarez Martinez with drug trafficking, among other charges, was unsealed in the Northern District of Georgia.
Tabarez Martinez was previously imprisoned in the United States for drug trafficking. According to reports, he served a sentence of more than 12 months for the distribution of methamphetamine. Tabarez Martínez, 49 is originally from Coyuca de Catalán, Guerrero.
US authorities identify La Nueva Familia Michoacana as the successor to the criminal organization La Familia Michoacana, which was designated in 2009 and in 2021 for its involvement in drug trafficking. Last year, its leaders, brothers Johnny, and José Hurtado Olascoaga, were sanctioned in the US as well and have been tied to "rainbow fentanyl" that has been seized recently.
Three Belgians Sanctioned for Cocaine Trafficking
The OFAC also sanctioned three Belgian nationals, including Othman El Ballouti, who is a high-level drug trafficker, as well as his younger brother, Younes El Ballouti, and his associate, Youssef Ben Azza.Othman El Ballouti manages an international criminal organization that smuggles significant quantities of cocaine via shipping containers through the Port of Antwerp in Belgium for wider distribution throughout Europe. Their cocaine supplier also supplied cocaine to the Sinaloa and CJNG cartels.
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Arrest of Wilder "Gato" Emilio Sanchez Farfan, cocaine supplier from Ecuador. |
Othman El Ballouti’s money laundering and narcotics supply chain networks are linked to businesses based in the People’s Republic of China (PRC), as well as South American cocaine suppliers, including Ecuadorian national Wilder "Gato" Emilio Sanchez Farfan, who OFAC designated in February 2022. Sanchez Farfan was arrested in Colombia in February of this year. He was reported to be Ecuador's most prolific cocaine trafficker.
Sanchez Farfan was a major cocaine source supplier to the Sinaloa Cartel. He uses associates in Mexico to facilitate multi-ton cocaine shipments to Sinaloa Cartel members in Culiacan, Manzanillo, and Ensenada in Mexico. Additionally, Sanchez Farfan has sent representatives of his organization to Mexico to meet with members of the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG) to establish a working relationship to import multi-ton quantities of cocaine into Mexico from Ecuador.
Younes El Ballouti serves as a manager in his brother’s narcotics trafficking organization. In January 2023, Younes El Ballouti was sentenced, in absentia, to an 8-year prison term in Belgium for his involvement in multiple drug shipments.
Youssef Ben Azza, who has been involved in drug trafficking for over a decade, assists Othman El Ballouti in establishing ostensibly legitimate companies, which are created to conceal the organization’s involvement in illicit activities.
Currently, Othman El Ballouti, Younes El Ballouti, and Youssef Ben Azza are wanted by Belgian authorities for cocaine trafficking. They are believed to be living in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in an attempt to evade prosecution.
Source OFAC
Believe it or not the shits all over Europe now… epidemic in Italy, well Rome that is..
ReplyDeleteNope its not epidemic, not even close.
DeleteWhat? cocaine? Yes we know
DeleteSuch Belgian names.. lmao
ReplyDelete11:29. You do know that people born in a country other than their ethnic background are still citizens of that country right?
Delete11:32 if I'm not mistaken in England, Great Britain and or the UK that is not the case. IDK if the law has changed since this was commented to me and if that would be the case in any other country in Europe.
Delete12:15. It states on the chart they were born in Belgium.
Delete12:46 then they are Belgium citizens
DeleteCitizens? Yes.
DeleteBelgian names? No.
Probably Morrocan since the Morroco mob is mainly active in Belgium and Holland.
You are confusing the Belgium nationality with the French language (which is spoken in Belgium).
DeleteFlemish and Walloon also spoken in Belgium, and now, let's add Arabic to the list..
DeleteIt's a cosmopolitan world, betcha there's folks there talking mexican too!
My friend always says that if you are in a strange part of the world and want to find a beaner, go to a whorehouse, and sure as shit, there will be chingos de paisas hangin' round!
🦎
Flemish is Dutch, like in Holland, but different dialects.
DeleteWalloon is French, like in France, but again different dialects.
I'm glad to see diff cartels making moves for us, hope they are passing down the knowledge o wait it's all online forever. Lol
ReplyDeleteFranco tabarez has a corrido by Gerardo Diaz. Its ok i guess lol
ReplyDeleteNot just Belgium and Italy you for got about the Armenians lmao
ReplyDelete