U.S. Department of the Treasury’s OFAC designates Luis Manuel Picado Grijalba and Costa Rica-based cocaine trafficking and money laundering network under E.O. 14059

The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated five Costa Rican nationals and five Costa Rica-based entities for involvement in narcotics trafficking and money laundering, targeting a Costa Rica-based network moving cocaine to the United States. The designations were made under Executive Order 14059. The network is described as transporting multi-ton quantities of cocaine from Colombia, storing it in Costa Rica, and shipping it onward to the United States and Europe. OFAC designated alleged leaders Luis Manuel Picado Grijalba (also known as “Shock”) and Jordie Kevin Picado Grijalba (“Noni”), as well as Tonny Alexander Pena Russell for providing support to Luis Manuel Picado Grijalba. It also designated family-linked money laundering facilitators Estefania Mc Donald Rodriguez and Anita Yorleny Mc Donal Rodriguez, alongside related entities Asociación de Lideres Limonenses del Sector Pesquero (ASOLIPES), 3-101-507688 SA, Celajes de York CDY SA, Magic Esthetic Salon SA, and Inversiones Laurita L&L SA. As a result, all property and interests in property of the designated persons within U.S. jurisdiction are blocked and must be reported to OFAC, and entities owned 50 percent or more (directly or indirectly) by one or more blocked persons are also blocked. OFAC noted that, absent authorization or exemption, U.S. persons are generally prohibited from transactions involving blocked persons and that sanctions violations may result in civil or criminal penalties, including on a strict liability basis for civil enforcement.