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Treasury moves fast
Just one day after Mexico froze bank accounts of over a dozen betting firms over ties to organized crime, the US Department of the Treasury (UST) has joined the Mexican government in the joint targeting of the Albanian mafia-run Hysa Organized Crime Group (HOCG).
sanctioned HOCG along with 26 individuals and entities
The UST’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced Thursday that it had sanctioned HOCG along with 26 individuals and entities involved in Sinaloa Cartel-related money laundering operations.
Another UST bureau, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), has proposed measures to sever ten Mexican gambling firms in the Mexican states of Sinaloa, Tabasco, Baja California, and Sonora from the US financial system.
Hysa hydra targeted
The big target in view is Hysa, which US investigators state has gained influence and control over multiple Mexico-based casinos and restaurants in order to launder narcotrafficking proceeds.
“The HOCG is believed to operate with the consent of the Sinaloa Cartel, which maintains criminal control over much of the territory where the group conducts its activities.” the UST report states.
Because of the Hysa group sanction, “all property and interests in property” possessed or controlled by the named US-located entities and individuals are frozen and require reporting to OFAC.
Also frozen are any entities owned “directly or indirectly, individually or collectively, 50% or more” by one or more people named in the sanctions.
Casinos named
Mexico, in tandem with US measures, froze the bank accounts of 13 betting houses, while the UST moved to block access to its financial system for ten Mexican casinos allegedly washing money for the Sinaloa Cartel.
According to El Pais, the casinos named included Midas Casino, Eminem Mirage Casino, Skampa Casino, and Palermo Casino.
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