US issues sanctions on those linked to Sinaloa cartel

The US Thursday slapped sanctions on individuals and entities linked to the Sinaloa Cartel following Mexico's capture of the network's leader Joaquin Guzman Loera last week.

The Department of Treasury blacklisted Hugo Cuellar Hurtado, a dual Colombian-Mexican national, for his support to Sinaloa and Juan Jose Esparragoza Moreno, a leader of the group, Xinhua reported. Six other people, including five of Cuellar Hurtado's family members, and 10 entities linked to him were targeted as well.

The agency accused Cuellar Hurtado of engaging in drug trafficking for decades, first for the Medellin drug cartel by shipping cocaine to the US through Mexico, then by supplying cocaine to Sinaloa.

The sanctions bar American citizens from doing business with those targeted, and freeze all of their assets under US jurisdiction.

US presidents identified Esparragoza Moreno and Sinaloa as significant foreign narcotics traffickers in 2003 and 2009 respectively.

On Feb 22, Mexican authorities captured Guzman Loera, a.k.a. El Chapo, who was listed by US president as a significant foreign narcotics trafficker in 2001. The US authorities are reportedly seeking his extradition.