(Archived Content)
Juan Santiago & Pedro David Gallon Henao Previously Designated for
Ties to La Oficina de Envigado
Ties to La Oficina de Envigado
Washington– The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) today designated four Colombian nationals as Specially Designated Narcotics Traffickers (SDNTs) pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (Kingpin Act) because of their links to previously designated SDNTs Juan Santiago Gallon Henao, Pedro David Gallon Henao, and La Oficina de Envigado (“La Oficina”). Also designated today are five Colombian companies, identified by OFAC as being ultimately owned, controlled, or directed by Juan Santiago Gallon Henao through the help of some of the individuals designated today. As a result of today’s action, U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions or otherwise dealing with these individuals and companies, and any assets they may have under U.S. jurisdiction are frozen.
“These new Treasury designations will further reduce the economic power of La Oficina’s longtime financiers by identifying and targeting front persons and companies working on their behalf,” said OFAC Director John E. Smith. “While La Oficina’s sponsors in Colombia may continue to benefit from the proceeds of their criminal activities, OFAC will continue to take measures to prevent these illicit proceeds from entering the U.S. financial system.”
This is OFAC’s seventh action targeting individuals and entities associated with La Oficina. The Gallon Henaos were designated on June 24, 2015, as part of a previous OFAC action targeting individuals identified as criminal financiers, narcotics traffickers, or collaborators aligned with La Oficina, a Colombian criminal group. OFAC designated La Oficina as an SDNT pursuant to the Kingpin Act on June 26, 2014. In addition to its direct involvement in narcotics trafficking, La Oficina is complicit in a variety of illicit activities including money laundering, extortion, and murder for hire.
The five companies designated today – Clamasan S.A.S., Guisanes S.A.S., C.M.V. Carnes S.A.S., Agropecuaria Mais S.A.S., and Agroindustrias Cima S.A.S – operate out of a single address in Medellin, Antioquia, Colombia. These companies engage in a variety of commercial activities, including family estate management, mining, and coffee cultivation. Three designated individuals are involved as managers and nominee shareholders of these businesses on behalf of Juan Santiago Gallon Henao. The individuals are: Santiago Alvarez Castro, a longtime criminal and business partner of Juan Santiago and Pedro David Gallon Henao; Mariana Gallon Aristizabal, daughter of Juan Santiago Gallon Henao; and Claudia Mercedes Vargas Giraldo, an ex-wife of Juan Santiago Gallon Henao. Gabriel Jaime Aguilar Ramirez, an attorney for Juan Santiago Gallon Henao and Pedro David Gallon Henao, is also involved in their criminal activities.
OFAC and the Drug Enforcement Administration worked closely to execute today’s action, while U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center provided invaluable support to the investigation that led to it.
Since June 2000, more than 2,000 individuals and entities have been named pursuant to the Kingpin Act for their role in international narcotics trafficking. Penalties for violations of the Kingpin Act range from civil penalties of up to $1,437,153 per violation to more severe criminal penalties. Criminal penalties for corporate officers may include up to 30 years in prison and fines up to $5 million. Criminal fines for corporations may reach $10 million. Other individuals could face up to 10 years in prison and fines pursuant to Title 18 of the United States Code for criminal violations of the Kingpin Act.
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