U.S. Sanctions Gulf Cartel Leaders Over Illegal Fishing Operations

The Treasury Department targets five individuals for exploiting red snapper and shark species to fund drug and human smuggling activities.

The U.S. Department of Treasury sanctioned five Gulf Cartel members for illegal fishing operations and associated smuggling activities.
Key figures include Francisco Javier Sierra Angulo, the cartel leader in Matamoros, and brothers Ismael and Omar Guerra Salinas, who control Playa Bagdad operations.
The cartel uses small boats, known as 'lanchas,' to fish red snapper and shark species illegally in U.S. waters, generating millions annually.
These boats are also used for drug trafficking and smuggling migrants into the United States, highlighting the cartel's diverse criminal enterprises.
The sanctions freeze the individuals' U.S. assets and prohibit American entities from conducting business with them, aiming to disrupt the cartel's financial networks.