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US Treasury targets Medellin-based drug trafficker
27 May 2009 18:16:31 GMT
 Source: Reuters
WASHINGTON, May 27 (Reuters) - The U.S. Treasury on Wednesday moved to freeze the assets of alleged Medellin-based drug trafficker Pedro Antonio Bermudez Suaza and ban any U.S. bank or American consumer from doing business with him.

"When Mexican authorities captured Bermudez Suaza, they took down a major conduit of cocaine between the Colombian and Mexican drug cartels," said Adam Szubin, director of the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control.

"Today's designations expose Bermudez Suaza's numerous illicitly-obtained assets in his hometown of Medellin, Colombia as well as those in Mexico and Panama," Szubin said.

OFAC said it also targeted 13 other individuals and 14 entities in Colombia, Mexico and Panama.

Bermudez Suaza was arrested in October 2008 by Mexican authorities on charges related to narcotics trafficking and money laundering, Treasury said.

Bermudez Suaza also faces federal drug trafficking charges in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, where he was indicted in September 2008, Treasury said.

According to Treasury the 13 people named include Mexican nationals Felipe Bermudez Duran who is Bermudez Suaza's son, Julio Cesar Sanchez Martell and Omar Alfredo Jacome Del Valle.

OFAC also designated several Colombian nationals -- including Bermudez Suaza's mother, Maria del Carmen Suaza Barco, another of Bermudez Suaza's sons, Santiago Bermudez Luque, and key financial associates Martha Marina Munera Velasquez and Natalia Andrea Vasquez Valencia.

Treasury also blacklisted 14 companies:

In Mexico, Aeronautica Condor S.A. de C.V., a small airline, and Consultoria en Cambios Falcon S.A. de C.V., a small money service business.

In Panama, Grupo Falcon de Panama, S.A., which owns commercial real estate. In Colombia, the designated entities include Taxi Aereo Antioqueno S.A., a small Medellin-based airline; Llanotour Ltda also known as Hosteria Llanogrande, a hotel management company in Rionegro operated by Martha Marina Munera Velasquez, and Franzul S.A., a real estate holding company.

Through his Colombian companies, Bermudez Suaza owns numerous real properties in the Medellin area, Treasury said. (Reporting by Nancy Waitz; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)


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