Calay News
The US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has imposed sanctions on the ‘Hernandez Salas’ criminal organization, based in Mexicali, Baja California, for its involvement in human smuggling into the United States. The leader of the network, Ofelia Hernandez Salas, also known as “Doa Lupe’, has been accused of falsifying documents and engaging in corruption in Mexico to smuggle undocumented migrants across the southern border. She is believed to have ties to the Sinaloa Cartel.
Hernandez is currently imprisoned in Mexico and is awaiting extradition to the United States, where she faces charges brought by a federal grand jury in Arizona. OFAC seeks to disrupt the operations of the Hernandez Salas organization, working closely with Mexican authorities.
The criminal network is described as a sophisticated, global organization that has facilitated the irregular entry of thousands of people into the United States since at least 2018. They are estimated to charge their victims between $10,000 and $70,000 for smuggling services. In addition to Hernandez, sanctions have been imposed on other members of the organization as well as hotels used in their human smuggling activities.
US authorities have also sanctioned Raul Saucedo Huipio, accused of communicating with smuggling facilitators in Central America; Jesus Gerardo Chavez Tamayo, who facilitates the crossing of migrants and receives payments for his services; Fatima del Rocio Maldonado Lopez, accused of altering documents and providing lodging to migrants; and Federico Hernandez Sanchez, an alleged collaborator of the organization and recipient of payments for human smuggling.
The Treasury Department reaffirms its commitment to combat abuse of the financial system and protect vulnerable immigrants. They will continue to crack down on those who seek to take advantage of desperate migrants and perpetuate human smuggling.
