The United States Department of the Treasury has just imposed sanctions on five Mexican individuals associated with the Gulf Cartel.
The Gulf Cartel according to the Press Statement from the United States’ Department of Treasury happens to be one of Mexico’s most dangerous criminal organizations.
The illegal set-up is alleged to be behind a series of vices including the involvement in criminal activities associated with illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, human smuggling, and cases of narcotics trafficking within and around the Gulf of Mexico.
The Gulf Cartel which is also known as Cártel del Golfo (CDG) in Spanish, is a criminal setup based in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico, was founded in the 1930s by Juan Nepomuceno Guerra.
The group’s network is believed to form an international ring which has dealings with crime groups in Europe, West Africa, Asia, Central America, South America, and the United States
The U.S Department of states says under the Maritime Security and Fisheries Enforcement (SAFE) Act, the United States mobilizes 21 federal agencies and offices led by the Department of State and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
It also marshals the U.S. Coast Guard in a coordinated, whole-of-government approach to counter IUU fishing and related threats to maritime security around the world through the U.S. Interagency Working Group on IUU Fishing.
“The United States is a global leader in sustainability and fisheries governance, and we collaborate with partners around the world to combat IUU fishing and nature crimes. IUU fishing can take many forms, and may be linked to large-scale, coordinated efforts by transnational crime syndicates,” reads part of the statement.
Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, according to the dispatch, damages ocean ecosystems and hurts communities that depend on sustainably managed fisheries for food security and livelihoods.
“The United States remains committed to building stronger rules and standards governing international fisheries and engaging with the world’s flag, coastal, port, and market States to promote responsibility and accountability,” the statement maintains.