U.S. sanctions Mexican fuel firms linked to cartel fuel-smuggling scheme

The U.S. Treasury imposed sanctions on June 30, 2026, against two Mexican citizens and nine Mexico-based companies for alleged ties to a fuel-smuggling operation connected to the CJNG cartel. The sanctioned individuals are Oscar Guillermo Juraidini Silva and J. Refugio Ruiz Villagomez, who are accused of running transportation, financial services, and real estate businesses used to facilitate illegal fuel imports from the U.S. into Mexico. According to the Treasury, the scheme involved tens of millions of dollars in transactions through the U.S. financial system with third parties linked to the CJNG cartel. Illegal fuel smuggling costs Mexico over $11 billion annually in lost tax revenue, making it the cartels’ second-largest income source after drugs. The operation exploits Mexico’s reliance on fuel imports, with more than 60% of its domestic fuel supply coming from abroad, primarily the U.S. Authorities allege Juraidini used shell companies to mislabel fuel imports and evade Mexican import taxes, while Ruiz is accused of bribing criminals controlling border ports to illegally import fuel. Companies tied to both men did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The sanctions are part of a broader U.S.-Mexico effort to curb cross-border fuel smuggling, which drains billions in revenue from both nations. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has intensified cooperation with U.S. agencies to address the issue, as an estimated one in three liters of fuel sold in Mexico is illegally sourced.