The United States has imposed sanctions against four Colombian nationals and their drug trafficking organization for involvement in the transfer of narcotics, the US Treasury Department announced on Thursday
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 16th September, 2021) The United States has imposed sanctions against four Colombian nationals and their drug trafficking organization for involvement in the transfer of narcotics, the US Treasury Department announced on Thursday.
"Today, the US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) identified Zulma Maria Musso Torres (Musso Torres) as a significant foreign narcotics trafficker pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (Kingpin Act)," the release said. "Musso Torres... is the leader of an international drug trafficking organization (DTO) primarily based in Santa Marta, Magdalena, Colombia."
The Treasury Department explained that Torres' drug trafficking organization controls maritime corridors in northern Colombia and collects a per kilogram tax from drug traffickers for secure passage of multi-ton shipments of narcotics.
The Treasury Department went on to say that it also targets with sanctions Torres' sons and husband for assisting her in the criminal enterprise.
"Musso Torres is assisted by her two sons, Washington Antunez Musso (Antunez Musso) and Juan Carlos Reales Britto (Reales Britto), and her husband, Luis Antonio Bermudez Mejia (Bermudez Mejia), who were also designated today for providing material support to the narcotics trafficking activities of Musso Torres," teh release said.
The sons report directly to Musso Torres and assist her drug trafficking activities at seaports and maritime locations in the Magdalena, Atlantico, and La Guajira departments of Colombia, the release also said.
The Treasury Department noted that the organization facilitates the transportation of multi-ton quantities of cocaine from Colombia to the United States, Europe, the Caribbean, Central America, and Mexico.
The Treasury Department said it also designated two Colombian entities - Exclusive Import Export S.A.S. and Poligono Santa Marta S.A.S. - that are owned, controlled,directed by, or act for or on behalf of, Antunez Musso and Reales Britto," the release said.
Since June 2000, more than 2,200 entities and individuals have been sanctioned under the Kingpin Act, according to the Treasury Department.
