OFAC designates CJNG fuel-smuggling facilitators — 2 individuals and 9 entities
US-nexus sanctions-screening teams must block the newly SDN-listed CJNG fuel-smuggling network — 2 individuals and 9 Mexican/UK entities — plus any entity they own 50%+
Change
On 30 June 2026 the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated two Mexican nationals — Oscar Guillermo Juraidini Silva and J. Refugio Ruiz Villagomez — and nine entities under Executive Orders 14059 and 13224 for facilitating Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG) fuel-smuggling, blocking all their U.S.-jurisdiction property and prohibiting U.S.-person transactions with them on a strict-liability basis.
Why it matters
The designations block all property and interests in property of the named persons that are in the United States or held by U.S. persons, and prohibit U.S.-person transactions with them absent an OFAC licence. Two ownership chains drive the screening work: seven entities — including the UK-registered Cucumber Sweet Waves Ltd and the currency-exchange Centro Cambiario La Peseta — are blocked as owned/controlled by Juraidini, while Ruiz Villagomez is blocked as directed by the logistics firms Jomadi and Ahavat. OFAC's 50% rule extends blocking automatically to any further entity owned 50% or more by these blocked persons. Violations carry strict-liability civil penalties, and foreign financial institutions facilitating significant transactions for the E.O. 13224 designees risk secondary sanctions on their U.S. correspondent accounts.
Implications
- — Sanctions-screening teams at US and US-nexus banks, MSBs and payment firms must add all eleven designated parties to filters and block or reject matched transactions before the next transfer cycle: individuals Oscar Guillermo Juraidini Silva and J. Refugio Ruiz Villagomez; and entities Centro Cambiario La Peseta, OJ Living Trust, RK Real King, Soma Transporte y Servicios, Ogui Fletes, OF Transportes, Cucumber Sweet Waves Ltd, Jomadi Logistics & Cargo, and Ahavat Logistics Solution.
- — Sanctions and correspondent-banking teams must screen through the two ownership chains, not only by direct name match: the seven entities OFAC lists as owned or controlled by Juraidini (spanning a UK-registered company, a Mexican currency-exchange, real-estate and transport firms) are blocked via him, and Ruiz Villagomez is blocked via the logistics firms Jomadi and Ahavat — and OFAC's 50%-ownership rule automatically blocks any further entity these persons own 50% or more.
- — Trade-finance, freight/logistics and fuel-sector compliance teams with Mexico or UK exposure must screen transportation, currency-exchange, real-estate and UK-registered counterparties against these names, because OFAC identified the network as using logistics fronts, a money-exchange business and shell companies to move fuel-smuggling proceeds for CJNG.
- — Foreign financial institutions holding US correspondent or payable-through accounts must refuse or impose strict conditions on significant transactions for the E.O. 13224 designees — OFAC can prohibit or condition those accounts and impose secondary sanctions for knowing facilitation.
Who is affected
- — Sanctions-screening teams at US and US-nexus banks, MSBs and payment firms
- — Correspondent-banking and counterparty due-diligence teams applying 50%-ownership screening
- — Trade-finance, freight/logistics and fuel-sector compliance teams with Mexico or UK exposure
- — Foreign financial institutions holding US correspondent or payable-through accounts