WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – The United States yesterday dropped sanctions on 308 individuals and entities that had been tied to the Cali drug cartel in the single largest delisting in the history of the U.S. Treasury’s sanctions programmes.
The Treasury Department said the action was taken following the sanctions-related financial collapse of the Colombia-based narcotics trafficking empire.
It said sanctions remained in place on Cali cartel leaders Miguel and Gilberto Rodriguez Orejuela, who are currently serving jail terms in the United States. They now are the only members of their family on the list.
In all, sanctions were lifted on 78 persons and 230 entities. The sanctions had put a freeze on any assets these individuals and entities may have held in the United States and prohibited U.S. businesses from dealing with them.
“Today’s action demonstrates the successful use of targeted sanctions, which have destroyed the Rodriguez Orejuela brothers’ business empire,” Adam Szubin, the director of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, said in a statement.
“We continue to support Colombian authorities as they prepare to finalize the forfeiture of the Rodriguez Orejuela brothers’ assets,” he said.
