WASHINGTON, Aug. 1 (UPI) -- The U.S. Treasury Department Wednesday designated five leaders of Europe's Camorra criminal organization for sanctions related to counterfeiting and extortion.
The Camorra is involved in "money laundering, extortion, alien smuggling, robbery, blackmail, kidnapping, political corruption and counterfeiting around the world," the department said in a release. It joins the Brothers' Circle, the Yakuza and the Zetas as transnational criminal organizations specifically identified by President Barack Obama for sanctions.
The five Camorra leaders designated Wednesday were identified as Antonio Iovine, Michele Zagaria, Mario Caterino, Paolo Di Mauro and Giuseppe Dell'Aquila.
Obama identified the Camorra as a significant TCO on July 24, 2011, and charged the Treasury Department with pursuing additional sanctions against its members and supporters. Wednesday's designation freezes the leaders' assets in the United States and prohibits Americans from participating in transactions with them.
"This action is designed to squeeze the Camorra out of the global financial system and protect the U.S. financial system from laundering of its criminal proceeds. We will continue to pursue members and supporters of the Camorra, and today's action against the group's leadership will help us cast an even larger net to expose their financial facilitators and associates wherever they may operate," Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David S. Cohen said.
