U.S. formalizes sanctions against ex-husband of Baja governor
Original reporting: El Diario de Chihuahua
What happened
El Diario de Chihuahua reports that the United States formalized sanctions against Carlos Alberto Torres Torres, Marina del Pilar Ávila’s former husband, and linked people and companies over alleged support for the Sinaloa Cartel.
Reporting and context
U.S. formalizes sanctions against ex-husband of Baja California governor
The United States formally sanctioned Carlos Alberto Torres Torres, the former husband of Baja California Gov. Marina del Pilar Ávila, along with 20 other people and 25 companies and entities. El Diario de Chihuahua reported that the designations were published in the U.S. Federal Register after the Treasury Department announced the measure on Sept. 29.
The sanctions block property and assets in the United States or under U.S. control and generally prohibit U.S. citizens and companies from conducting transactions with the designated parties. According to the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), Torres provided or attempted to provide financial, material or technological support, goods or services to support the Sinaloa Cartel.
OFAC also designated Torres’s brother, Luis Alfonso Torres Torres, on similar allegations. Five companies were identified as directly linked to Luis Alfonso Torres: Distribuidora y Comercializadora ATAF in Ciudad Juárez, and Edifika Desarrollos Baja, Raes Restaurante, The Woods Bar and Vida Orgánica Tijuana in Tijuana.
El Diario de Chihuahua reported that OFAC said corruption linked to the Sinaloa Cartel had reached the highest levels of Baja California’s state government. The agency also alleged that Carlos Torres maintained an alliance with Juan José Ponce Félix, known as “El Ruso,” a commander of the Los Rusos faction of Los Mayos. OFAC said Torres used political influence to facilitate the group’s activities and protect it from authorities. These are allegations by the U.S. agency, not a judicial finding in this report.