The U.S. Treasury adds 20 Colombian nationals and 24 businesses to to a list of Specially Designated Narcotics Traffickers banned from doing business with U.S. citizens.
The individuals and businesses are all accused of being associated with the drug trafficking organization run by Daniel Barrera Barrera, alias “El Loco” Barrera, and Pedro Oliveiro Guerrero, alias “Cuchillo,” two of the most wanted criminals in Colombia, who are already on the Kingpin List.
The U.S. Treasury described Barrera and Guerrero as “partners” of the FARC in the illegal drug trade.
“Today’s action strikes again at the criminal drug trafficking organizations led by el Loco Barrera and Cuchillo and their alliance with the FARC,” said OFAC Director Adam J. Szubin.
Thirty people who allegedly acted as front men for various businesses that laundered drug money for the two paramilitary leaders were put on the list in March 2010.
Cuchillo’s paramilitary drug trafficking group, The Colombian Popular Anti-Terrorist Army (ERPAC), was also added to the list. ERPAC was the first Colombian paramilitary group to be included in the document.
Some of the new organizations added to the list were created to replace those who were forced to halt business dealings in the U.S. after being designated as narco-traffickers, according to the U.S.
The blacklist, which is made by the Office of Foreign Assets Control within the U.S. Treasury Department, names over 750 people and businesses who are judged to have financial ties to drug trafficking. It is also known as the Clinton List, because it was created by U.S. President Bill Clinton.
Those on the list face economic sanctions, including the freezing of assets under U.S. jurisdiction, and cannot do business with U.S. citizens.