Queer: Mexico freezes bank accounts of entities sanctioned by U.S.

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – The Mexican government’s monetary crime division has frozen the bank accounts of companies and folks blacklisted by the US under accusations of having refrained from the sanction regime imposed on Venezuela, its chief acknowledged on Friday.

Santiago Nieto, chief of Mexico’s Financial Intelligence Unit, did no longer elaborate on crucial points, however told Reuters that bank accounts of “all these listed” by the usTreasury’s Build of job of International Resources Regulate were frozen.

Washington on Thursday blacklisted Mexico-based entirely Libre Abordo and connected firm Schlager Commercial Neighborhood, accusing them of helping Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s administration evade sanctions, in the first formal shuffle by the U.S. Treasury against Mexican companies focused on trading Venezuelan oil.

The US also imposed sanctions on four companies linked to Mexicans Joaquin Leal Jimenez, Veronica Esparza and Olga Zepeda, which it accused of having cooperated with Libre Abordo, Schlager and businessman Alex Saab, arrested final week in Cape Verde, to evade sanctions.

“Saab and Leal, working with Mexico-based entirely Libre Abordo and Schlager Commercial Neighborhood, brokered the re-sale of over 30 million barrels of low oil on behalf of (Venezuela’s converse-tear) PDVSA,” the Treasury acknowledged on Thursday.

Nieto acknowledged the accounts of Zepeda were among these that were frozen.

Leal, Esparza and Zepeda might presumably no longer straight be reached for commentary.

Libre Abordo told Reuters on Friday it used to be working on its honest protection earlier than the US and Mexico. “We are convinced that this shuffle will make contributions to ratifying the legality of all our operations.”

Libre Abordo and Schlager started receiving Venezuelan oil for resale in Asian markets in 2019 after signing an oil-for-meals pact with Maduro’s government framed as a humanitarian provision.

While the companies equipped about 500 water autos to Venezuela, 210,000 quite so a lot of corn initially incorporated in the pact were no longer delivered, Libre Abordo acknowledged, adding that very low oil costs modified a agenda agreed by the events.

Libre Abordo presented monetary catastrophe in Might maybe well maybe also after losing $90 million amid what it known as “coarse” U.S. tension. The unreal with Venezuela got suspended.