US sanctions ISIS leaders and Mexico-based human trafficking organisation

Last week the US Department of State designated 2 ISIS leaders as Specially Designated Global Terrorists for the abduction and enslavement of Yezidi women and girls (press release, notice):

Arkan Ahmad ‘Abbas al-Matuti (aka Abu Sarhan), a senior field military commander in Wilayat al-Jazirah; and

Nawaf Ahmad Alwan al-Rashidi (aka Abu Faris), who manages ISIS financial payments to members and widows and works in the group’s smuggling operations.

These sanctions followed the International Day to End Sexual Violence in Conflict on 19 June 2023.

The US Treasury imposed sanctions on the Hernandez Salas transnational criminal organisation (TCO), a human smuggling organization based in Mexicali, Mexico, as well as 2 entities and 5 members in its support network (press release, chart, notice):

Mexican entities, Hotel Plaza and Hotel Las Torres, which have assisted the TCO;

Ofelia Hernandez Salas, leader of the TCO, who is currently incarcerated in Mexico, awaiting extradition to the United States; and

Raul Saucedo Huipio, Jesus Gerardo Chavez Tamayo, Fatima Del Rocio Maldonado Lopez, and Federico Hernandez Sanchez, Mexican nationals who allegedly work with the TCO, facilitating human smuggling activities.

Source » europeansanctions