WASHINGTON, Nov. 17 (UPI) -- The U.S. Treasury said Wednesday it has seized and cracked down on the activities of a ring of Colombian drug lords operating in the United States.
A total of seven businesses and 16 individuals were added to Treasury's list of specifically designated narcotics traffickers which were acting as fronts for Colombian drug lords Miguel and Gilberto Rodriguez Orejuela.
"We have seen that the notorious Rodriguez Orejuela organization manipulates people and businesses -- both inside Colombia and out -- to traffic narcotics and bankroll their networks," said Robert Werner, the head of Treasury's office of foreign assets control.
He said the crackdown "ensures that these sham companies and operatives are denied access to the U.S. economy and financial system,"
Those listed by the government are not only prohibited from operating in the United States, but Americans anywhere are prohibited from doing business with them in order to choke off financing.
