WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 (UPI) -- Four senior members of the largest syndicate within the Japanese Yakuza crime network now are subject to sanctions, the U.S. Treasury Department said Thursday.
Tadashi Irie, Hirofumi Hashimoto, Toshio Masaki, and Shoroku Ishida are subject to sanctions pursuant to an executive order that targets significant transnational criminal organizations and their supporters, the department said in a release.
"Today's action builds upon our efforts to undermine the financial stability of the Yakuza and disrupt their transnational drug-trafficking and money laundering efforts," said Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David Cohen. "We will continue to target and expose members of criminal organizations like these as we work to protect the U.S. financial system from their illicit activity."
President Obama identified the Yakuza as a significant transnational criminal organization in July 2011. The Treasury Department said the crime organization maintained its activities through a global network of affiliates in Asia, Europe and the Americas. In the United States, the department said, the Yakuza have been involved in drug trafficking and money laundering.
So far, the Treasury Department has designated 10 Yakuza members and the top three Yakuza groups for sanctions.
Thursday's action freezes any assets the individuals may have under U.S. jurisdiction. Also, U.S. residents generally are barred from doing business with them.
