The United States government sanctioned the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel (CSRL) and its leader, José Antonio Yépez Ortiz, alias “El Marro,” on Wednesday, accusing them of financing themselves primarily through fuel and oil theft in Guanajuato, an activity that, according to the Treasury Department, sustains a cross-border illegal market and contributes to violence in Mexico.
According to the statement, “El Marro” continues to exert influence over the cartel’s operations despite being imprisoned since 2020, as, according to US authorities, he continues to send instructions and orders to his associates through lawyers and family members.
“President [Donald] Trump promised the total elimination of the cartels to protect the American people,” said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. “Under my leadership, the Treasury is aggressively cutting these criminals off from the U.S. financial system. No matter where or how the cartels make and launder money, we will find them and stop them.”
The sanctions were announced by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), which stated that the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel obtains most of its income from the theft of hydrocarbons from the state-owned oil company Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex), through illegal taps, bribery of employees, tanker truck hijackings, and crude oil smuggling.
According to U.S. authorities, the stolen fuel is sold on the black market in Mexico, the U.S., and Central America, while the crude oil is smuggled into the United States, often labeled as “waste oil” to evade taxes and regulations, before being sold by intermediaries at reduced prices.
The Treasury Department stated that the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel causes significant losses to the Mexican government and also fuels an illegal energy market that harms legitimate oil and gas companies in the U.S.
