WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Colombian national Jose Bayron Piedrahita Ceballos for providing material support to the drug cartel La Oficina de Envigado, the Treasury said in a statement on Tuesday.
"As a result of today’s action, all assets of [Piedrahita Ceballos] that are based in the United States or that are in control of US persons are frozen, and US persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with them," the statement said.
OFAC also sanctioned seven other Colombian nationals and 11 entities based in Argentina, Colombia, Guatemala and Panama for their alleged ties to Piedrahita Ceballos.
Piedrahita Ceballos is accused of building a network of businesses in Colombia while continuing to fund narcotics traffickers. Acting OFAC Director John E. Smith noted that the action of "strips Piedrahita Ceballos of his commercial legitimacy."
The Treasury Department claims that the La Oficina group is complicit in money laundering, extortion and murder for hire in addition to narcotics trafficking.
US corporations and their employees who violate the sanctions can be fined up to $1.075 million per violation and face criminal penalties of up to 30 years in prison.
