Latest news with #TransnationalOrganizedCrimeRewardsProgram
Korea Herald
3 days ago
- Business
- Korea Herald
US takes flurry of steps to disrupt N. Korea's illicit revenue generation
The United States announced a package of actions Thursday to disrupt North Korea's illicit schemes to generate revenue for its nuclear and missile programs, including offering rewards for North Koreans involved in the schemes, and sanctioning a North Korean firm and associated people. The move came although US President Donald Trump has signaled his openness to reengaging with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, raising speculation that he could seek to resume his personal diplomacy, which led to three in-person meetings between him and Kim during his first term. The Trump administration described the move as a "whole-of-government" effort that involved an array of organizations, including the Department of State, Justice and the Treasury. The State Department said its Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program is offering rewards totaling up to $15 million for information leading to arrests or convictions of seven North Koreans -- Sim Hyon-sop and six co-conspirators. Sim and the others were charged for their role in illicit activities to buy and sell tobacco from North Korea to gain access to US dollars, according to the department. The reward offers include an increase of up to $7 million for Sim, up to $3 million each for Myong Chol-min and Kim Se-un, and up to $500,000 each for Kim Yong-bok, Kim Chol-min, Ri Tong-min and Ri Won-ho. Sim and some of his co-conspirators, including Kim Se-un, have also been involved in illicit information technology IT worker schemes. The North is thought to have sent thousands of IT workers abroad to orchestrate fraudulent IT work, often to Russia and China, the department said. The department stressed that the North's revenue generation schemes, including cryptocurrency theft, trafficking in counterfeit goods, oil smuggling, and other transnational criminal activities, often target US companies and US citizens to raise funds for Pyongyang's weapons programs that threaten the US homeland and stand in breach of UN and US sanctions. "Today's actions illustrate the US government's commitment to mitigating such threats posed by North Korea to protect US companies, the US financial system, and American citizens," the department said. "The United States will not stand idly by while North Korea profits from criminal activity to fund its destabilizing actions." In a coordinated move, the Treasury Department sanctioned the North's Korea Sobaeksu Trading Company and three associated individuals -- Kim Se-un, Jo Kyong-hun and Myong -- for their involvement in the evasion of US and UN sanctions and efforts to generate revenue clandestinely for Pyongyang, including through IT worker schemes. "The DPRK relies on front companies like Korea Sobaesku Trading Company and key facilitators to procure materials and generate revenue for the regime's illegal nuclear and ballistic missile programs," Bradley Smith, the director of the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control, said. "Our commitment is clear: Treasury, as part of a whole-of-government effort, will continue to hold accountable those who seek to infiltrate global supply chains and enable the sanctions evasion activities that further the Kim regime's destabilizing agenda." Alongside the Treasury and State Departments, the Justice Department unsealed indictments against seven North Koreans for it called the criminal avoidance of sanctions under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act involving the illicit trafficking of counterfeit cigarettes. Asked if Thursday's actions signaled that diplomacy with Pyongyang would be difficult for the time being, a State Department spokesperson pointed out the recalcitrant regime's advancing military threats to the US and its allies, and reaffirmed the US' commitment to the "complete denuclearization" of the North. "North Korea continues to advance its destabilizing weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs in violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions. These programs pose a threat to America, our allies, and partners, and undermine security in the region," the spokesperson told Yonhap News Agency via email. "We continue to consult closely with the Republic of Korea, Japan, and other allies and partners to deter North Korean aggression. Our commitments to the defense of the Republic of Korea and Japan are ironclad," the official added, referring to South Korea by its official name. The spokesperson also recalled attention to Trump's diplomacy with the North during his first term, saying it resulted in the first leader-level commitment from the North to denuclearize. (Yonhap)
Scoop
20-07-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Sanctioning Key Members Of Foreign Terrorist Organization Tren De Aragua
Tammy Bruce, Department Spokesperson July 17, 2025 The United States is sanctioning the head and key members of Tren de Aragua (TdA), a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) that originated in Venezuela and has launched a campaign of terror throughout our hemisphere. Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores (a.k.a 'Niño Guerrero') has a history of being involved in criminal activities for over two decades and currently is the detestable leader of TdA. Guerrero expanded TdA from a prison gang involved in extortion and bribery to an organization engaged in terrorism with growing influence throughout the Western Hemisphere. The Department of State, through the Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program managed by the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), is offering a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Guerrero. Today's sanction actions also target five additional key TdA leaders and affiliates, including one of TdA's co-founders and a close Guerrero lieutenant, Yohan Jose Romero (a.k.a. 'Johan Petrica'). INL is also offering a reward of up to $4 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Romero. These other TdA leaders are involved in atrocious crimes such as illicit drug trade, migrant smuggling, human trafficking, extortion, sexual exploitation of women and children, and money laundering, among other activities. This action follows the recent designation of TdA as an FTO and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). The United States is committed to keeping the American people safe by using all available means to eliminate TdA's threats of violent crime throughout our hemisphere.
The Hill
17-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
US sanctions six top leaders of Venezuela gang Tren de Aragua
The U.S. government sanctioned the head of Venezuela's Tren de Aragua gang, Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, and its five other key leaders and affiliates on Thursday, citing involvement in various criminal activities. The Treasury Department said that Tren de Aragua is a threat to public safety throughout the Western world, and is involved in the illicit drug trade, extortion, human smuggling and trafficking, money laundering, sexual exploitation of women and children, and other criminal conduct. 'Today's action highlights the critical role of leaders like Niño Guerrero and his lieutenants in Tren de Aragua's efforts to increase its destabilizing influence throughout the region,' Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement on Thursday. 'The Trump Administration will not allow Tren de Aragua to continue to terrorize our communities and harm innocent Americans,' Bessent added. 'In line with President Trump's mandate to Make America Safe Again, Treasury remains dedicated to dismantling Tren de Aragua and disrupting the group's campaign of violence.' Tren de Aragua, which originated in Venezuela, was designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the State Department on Feb. 20. Apart from Guerrero Flores, the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned Yohan Jose Romero, Josue Angel Santana Pena, Wilmer Jose Perez Castillo, Guerrero Flores's wife Wendy Marbelys Rios Gomez and Felix Anner Castillo Rondon. Thursday's sanctions will block all property and interests in property of the six individuals. Also, any entities owned directly or indirectly at a 50 percent rate or more will be blocked. Jose Romero, a close lieutenant of Guerrero Flores, has been responsible for Tren de Aragua's illegal mining efforts in Venezuela, along with providing the criminal gang with military-grade weapons, according to the Treasury Department. The State Department, through the Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program, is offering up to $5 million for information that leads to the arrest or conviction of Guerrero Flores.
Scoop
22-05-2025
- Scoop
Reward For Information Leading To Arrest And/Or Conviction Of Uruguayan Narcotics Trafficker And Money Launderer
MAY 21, 2025 Today, the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs is announcing a reward offer under the Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program (TOCRP) of up to $2 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction, in any country, of Uruguayan narcotics trafficker and money launderer Sebastian Marset. Concurrently, the Department of Justice announced today the unsealing of an indictment charging Marset with money laundering charges, stemming from the movement of drug proceeds through U.S. financial institutions. Marset is also a wanted fugitive throughout the Southern Cone of South America, charged with organized crime violations in Paraguay and Bolivia. In August 2023, Bolivian authorities announced a separate $100,000 reward offer for Marset's arrest. The TOCRP reward offer follows the largest and most consequential organized crime investigation (Operation A Ultranza Py) against cocaine trafficking in Paraguayan history. This investigation linked a criminal network led by Marset to more than 16 tons of cocaine seized in Europe, including an 11-ton seizure at the port of Antwerp in April 2021 and another 4.7-ton seizure of cocaine in Paraguay. The investigation was conducted in coordination with Paraguay's Special Investigative Unit and Anti-Drug Secretariat (SIU-SENAD), the Uruguayan Interior Ministry, Europol, and the DEA Asuncion Country Office. If you have information, please contact the DEA by email at MarsetTips@ If you are in the United States, you may also contact the local DEA office in your city. The United States is also soliciting anyone with direct knowledge of Marset's drug trafficking, money laundering, and acts of violence (actual or threatened) to contact the tipline. Today's reward offer is authorized by the Secretary under the TOCRP, which supports law enforcement efforts to disrupt transnational crime globally and bring fugitives to justice.
Scoop
04-05-2025
- Scoop
Reward Offer Of Up To $500,000 For Information Leading To Arrest And/or Conviction Of Most Wanted Fugitive In Costa Rica
April 30, 2025 Today, the Department of State's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs is announcing a reward offer under the Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program (TOCRP) of up to $500,000 for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction, in any country, of Alejandro Arias-Monge, a/k/a 'Diablo.' Arias is the head of a violent transnational criminal organization and the most wanted fugitive in Costa Rica. Arias has multiple Costa Rican warrants for drug trafficking, robbery, aggravated homicide, and money laundering. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Arias has conspired with numerous drug traffickers and Drug Trafficking Organizations to transport multi-hundred-kilogram loads of cocaine originating from Colombia. The cocaine is then smuggled through Costa Rica, Honduras, and Guatemala to Mexico, with the ultimate destination being the United States. Arias' organization uses social media to intimidate Costa Rican citizens by posting images of firearms, threatening messages to the public and governmental leaders, and videos of murders. In addition, the DEA and Costa Rican authorities have identified criminal cells operated by Arias in all seven provinces of Costa Rica. Today's reward offers are authorized by the Secretary under the TOCRP, which supports law enforcement efforts to disrupt transnational crime globally. If you have information, please contact the DEA at +1-956-517-7023 (text/WhatsApp/Signal) or by email at CRInfo@ If you are located outside of the United States, you can also visit the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. If you are in the United States, you can also contact the local DEA field office.
