Transnational Criminal Organizations Designations; Issuance of Amended Russia-related General Licenses; Publication of Updated Russia-related Frequently Asked Questions

Treasury Press Release: Secretary Bessent Orders Sanctions Against Violent Mexican Cartel

Additions:

The following individual has been added to OFAC’s SDN List:

OFAC Program: [TCO] Transnational Criminal Organizations Sanctions Regulations, 31 C.F.R. part 590; Executive Order 13581

YEPEZ ORTIZ, Jose Antonio

• AKA: “El Marro”
• Address: Mexico
• DOB: 23 Jul 1980
• POB: Guanajuato, Mexico
• Nationality: Mexico
• Gender: Male
• C.U.R.P.: YEOA800723HGTPRN07 (Mexico)
• Party Type: Individual
• Linked to: CARTEL DE SANTA ROSA DE LIMA

Supplemental Information: Jose Antonio Yepez Ortiz, also known as “El Marro” (the sledgehammer), is the leader of the Cartel de Santa Rosa de Lima (CSRL). Prior to his arrest in 2020, he was one of Mexico’s most wanted criminals due to CSRL’s industrial-scale theft of petroleum. Although sentenced to 60 years in prison in 2022 for kidnapping, he continues to lead CSRL from prison, issuing orders through lawyers and family members. He helped establish CSRL’s alliance with the Gulf Cartel while incarcerated.

The following entity has been added to OFAC’s SDN List:

OFAC Program: [TCO] Transnational Criminal Organizations Sanctions Regulations, 31 C.F.R. part 590; Executive Order 13581

CARTEL DE SANTA ROSA DE LIMA

• AKA:
  • SANTA ROSA DE LIMA CARTEL
  • “CSRL”
• Address: Mexico
• Organization Established Date: 2014
• Target Type: Criminal Organization

Supplemental Information: The Cartel de Santa Rosa de Lima (CSRL) is a Mexican transnational criminal organization named after the community in Guanajuato where its original members are from. It is primarily involved in fuel and oil theft (huachicol) from Pemex pipelines and refineries, particularly in the “Bermuda Triangle” region of Guanajuato. CSRL is also involved in narcotics trafficking, including heroin, and is responsible for significant violence in Guanajuato due to its turf war with the Cartel Jalisco Nuevo Generacion (CJNG). CSRL has allied with the Gulf Cartel and the Sinaloa Cartel.

Press Chart: CHART – CSRL and CJNG “Bermuda Triangle” Fuel Theft Region – December 2025