Treasury sanctions Sinaloa Cartel figures, six Ethereum addresses

The U.S. Treasury on Wednesday added individuals tied to the Sinaloa Cartel and six Ethereum addresses to the Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctions list, naming Armando de Jesus Ojeda Aviles as a facilitator who converted drug cash into cryptocurrency that prosecutors say flowed to the cartel.

Treasury announced the action resulted from a coordinated enforcement effort led by the Homeland Security Task Force with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration. It also designated Jesus Alonso Aispuro Felix, whom officials accuse of moving drug proceeds through blockchain transactions.

The designation lists six Ethereum network addresses, five linked to Ojeda Aviles. Officials said five of those accounts had shown no activity for years. One account, with an identifier ending in “e27cb,” recorded activity on April 27, sending roughly $894 in Tether (USDT) after more than a year of dormancy. Treasury did not disclose additional transaction chains beyond the addresses named.

The sanctions were issued under two executive orders aimed at combating illicit drug production and at targeting terrorists and their supporters. The Treasury described the Sinaloa Cartel as a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization responsible for a large share of illicit fentanyl entering the United States.

In a statement, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said, “As President Trump has made clear, this administration will not allow narco-terrorists to flood our borders with poison. Treasury will continue to target terrorist cartels and their fentanyl trafficking networks to protect our communities and keep America safe.”

Officials noted the action follows other law enforcement steps against cartel-linked crypto holdings. A Justice Department report from July said the Drug Enforcement Administration seized more than $10 million in cryptocurrency believed linked to the Sinaloa Cartel in 2025.

Sanctions on individuals and virtual-asset addresses are intended to freeze any U.S. property interests and generally prohibit U.S. persons from dealing with the designated parties. Treasury did not provide details on any related arrests or asset freezes beyond the OFAC listings. The agency said it will continue to work with domestic and international partners to identify and disrupt networks that use digital currencies to move drug proceeds.