The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced coordinated action by the Office of Foreign Assets Control and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network against fuel smuggling networks linked to Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion on the U.S. southern border. OFAC sanctioned two Mexican nationals and nine entities tied to a scheme involving cross-border fuel smuggling, false customs documents and shell companies used to evade Mexican fuel taxes and generate tens of millions of dollars for the cartel. FinCEN also issued a supplemental alert outlining typologies and red flags for fuel smuggling from the United States into Mexico in schemes involving Mexican tax evasion. The designations target Oscar Guillermo Juraidini Silva, whom Treasury described as a key financial operator for CJNG’s fuel theft enterprise, and seven companies he owns in Mexico and the United Kingdom. Treasury said he creates shell companies, falsifies customs documentation and imports fuel from the United States into Mexico while mislabeling shipments to avoid Mexico’s Impuesto Especial sobre Producción y Servicios fuel tax. OFAC also designated J. Refugio Ruiz Villagomez and two companies, Jomadi Logistics & Cargo and Ahavat Logistics Solution, over allegations that they smuggled fuel into Mexico without proper permits and moved tens of millions of dollars through the U.S. financial system with third parties linked to CJNG. FinCEN’s alert describes a broader model in which complicit Mexican trading companies and U.S. fuel distributors use front and shell companies, false invoicing, international wires, digital asset payments and structured cash deposits to move fuel and launder proceeds. The release also highlights recent financial intelligence linked to cartel fuel schemes. In the 12 months following FinCEN’s May 2025 alert on crude oil smuggling, FinCEN said it received more than 160 suspicious activity reports covering more than USD 7 billion in suspicious activity, largely between the United States and Mexico and most commonly involving CJNG. As a result of the new OFAC designations, blocked persons’ property and interests in property in the United States or under U.S. control are frozen, U.S. persons are generally barred from related transactions, and foreign financial institutions that knowingly facilitate significant transactions for persons designated under Executive Order 13224 may face secondary sanctions.
U.S. Department of the Treasury2026-06-30
U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctions 2 Mexican nationals and 9 entities linked to CJNG fuel smuggling and issues FinCEN alert on tax evasion schemes
The U.S. Department of the Treasury used OFAC sanctions and a new FinCEN alert to target CJNG-linked fuel smuggling and Mexican fuel tax evasion schemes on the southern border. OFAC designated two Mexican nationals and nine entities, while FinCEN detailed the main payment, trade and laundering typologies used in these operations. Treasury also said FinCEN had received more than 160 suspicious activity reports covering over USD 7 billion after its May 2025 crude oil smuggling alert.