US sanctions Mexico football star over cartel ties
August 10, 2017
The US Treasury has accused Rafael "Rafa" Marquez of being a "front person" for a notorious drug trafficker. Washington has vowed to assist Mexico in combating influential drug cartels trafficking narcotics into the US.
Image: Picture-alliance/dpa/epa/C. Moya
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Mexican footballer accused of cartel link
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US authorities on Wednesday announced sanctions against Mexican football star Rafael "Rafa" Marquez and several others for suspected links with a wanted drug lord.
Marquez, who led Mexico's national team at the FIFA World Cup four times, was among 22 people and 43 entities targeted by the US Treasury's sanctions list, which comprised one of the largest single US actions against a Mexican cartel under the "Kingpin Act."
'Front person'
The US Treasury Department accused the 38-year-old football star of being a "front person," saying he maintains a "longstanding relationship" with Raul Flores Hernandez, a suspected drug trafficker with ties to the notorious Sinaloa cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Gang.
"Raul Flores Hernandez has operated for decades because of his longstanding relationships with other drug cartels and his use of financial front persons to mask his investments of illegal drug proceeds," said John E. Smith, director of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control, in a statement.
The sanctions strike the drug lord's holdings in sectors ranging from health and sports to hospitality and tourism.
Inside the Tijuana smuggler tunnel
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Wider US strategy
The move effectively freezes any assets, including property and bank accounts, the targeted person holds in a US jurisdiction. It also bans US companies and citizens from engaging in business with them.
Over the past decade, US authorities have pursued a robust strategy targeting dangerous drug cartels in Mexico. In January, infamous drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman was extradited to the US for narcotics trafficking charges.
Despite growing tensions between Washington and Mexico City, Trump has vowed to assist Mexican authorities in combating influential drug cartels.
According to the Treasury, Mexican investigators played a key role in seizing assets linked to Hernandez and his suspected associates.
Life in the shadow of the wall
Residents in the Mexican city of Tijuana have constructed some quirky architectural structures near the rust-red fence erected by the US. Meanwhile, the authorities last month posted a call to expand the wall.
Image: Reuters/E. Garrido
The wall exists
The border between the US and Mexico spans about 1,900 miles, of which nearly 700 miles are currently covered by walls and fences. Tijuana is the largest city in Baja California, one of the six Mexican states with a border to the US.
Image: GoogleMaps
Sweeping views
The residents of this house near the US-Mexico border fence enjoy a wider view of the scrublands in the US state of California.
Image: Reuters/E. Garrido
Trump critic
Mexican architect Carlos Torres, 68, has been living in his house near the fence for three decades. He said the proposed wall will not be able to halt immigration. "Trump doesn't know what he's talking about. Here at this fence, people keep crossing every week," Torres explained.
Image: Reuters/E. Garrido
Treehouse
Guatemalan chef Joaquin, 36, builds a bed in a tree, near a section of the border fence. He said he was deported from the United States. At night from his bed, Joaquin tries to look into the heavens through the leaves. "I've tried to cross so many times that the border guards even got to know me, but I never made it back," he said.
Image: Reuters/E. Garrido
Flagship project
A house stands near the US-Mexico fence on the outskirts of Tijuana. Last month, the US authorities posted a call for proposals to expand existing walls along the Mexican border. The US president Donald Trump talked about building a wall several times during his election campaign. This project is being seen as Trump’s flagship anti-immigration project.
Image: Reuters/E. Garrido
Eye-watering costs
The roof of a house made with an advertisement banner is seen next to the fence, extension of which may cost between $12 billion (11.3 billion euros) and $15 billion.
Image: Reuters/E. Garrido
Not easy to cross
This shack standing next to the US-Mexico fence may look as if it can be climbed easily, but the proposed wall is going to be harder to cross. Because according to the tender, the wall should not be scalable, even using sophisticated climbing aids, and should be sunk at least six feet into the ground to avoid tunneling.
Image: Reuters/E. Garrido
Two different kinds of wall
A girl runs outside her home near the US-Mexico fence, which was made of corrugated metal. However, the proposed wall will be of two different kinds of material - solid concrete and a transparent one.