March 18 (UPI) — U.S. officials have sanctioned the alleged leader of a Guatemalan trans-national criminal organization that has smuggled thousands of “illegal aliens” from Guatemala into the United States.
The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned Jumilca Sandivel Hernandez Perez, who U.S. officials say is the leader of the Lopez human smuggling organization, Treasury officials announced Tuesday.
“Today’s action underscores the Trump administration’s commitment to targeting the criminal actors like Hernandez Perez and the Lopez human smuggling organization that perpetuates the illegal migration crisis and threaten the safety and security of Americans,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said.
“Treasury is committed to using all available tools to disrupt these criminal schemed and hold the perpetrators accountable,” Bessent said.
Hernandez Perez has coordinated her illegal activity with members of the violent U.S.-sanctioned drug trafficking organization La Linea, according to the Treasury Department.
U.S. officials say La Linea is responsible for trafficking fentanyl and other deadly drugs into the United States.
They also accuse La Linea of slaying nine U.S. citizens, including six children, in the Mexican state of Sonora in November 2019.
“The Lopez HSO has primarily smuggled illegal aliens to New Mexico, Arizona and California but also has run operations through parts of Texas and transported illegal aliens to Virginia and other states far from the U.S.-Mexico border,” according to the Treasury Department.
“The organization is known to purchase fraudulent Mexican documents and pay cartel fees to facilitate the movement of illegal aliens through Mexico.”
A U.S. District Court for New Mexico grand jury indicted Hernandez Perez and other members of the Lopez HSO on July 17 for conspiring to transport and harbor illegal aliens in the United States.
“Members of the Lopez HSO, including Hernandez Perez,have exploited the U.S. financial system with their criminal activity, utilizing U.S. banks to receive and issue payments as part of their human smuggling operations,” Treasury officials said.
The Lopez HSO charged migrants between $13,000 and $16,000 each and generated between $104 million and $416 million through human smuggling operations between September 2020 and 2023, according to the Treasury Department.
Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctions take many forms, including blocking property owned by sanctioned individuals and organizations and blocking financial and other transactions involving them.
The sanctions against Hernandez Perez block all of her property and interests in property, including investments and business interests, that are in the United States or are controlled or possessed by U.S. citizens or entities.