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Treasury Sanctions Cancún-Based Bhardwaj Smuggling Network, Targeting Leader, 3 Associates and 16 Companies

The action freezes U.S.-linked assets to disrupt a network that moved thousands of migrants through Cancún using yachts, marinas, hotels, plus the Tapachula–Cancún–Mexicali route.

Overview

  • OFAC named Vikrant Bhardwaj as leader of the organization and designated his wife Indu Rani, José Germán Valadez Flores, and ex‑police officer Jorge Alejandro Mendoza Villegas.
  • U.S. officials say the group combined air and maritime routes, housed migrants in Cancún, and then funneled them toward the U.S. border via Mexicali.
  • The network allegedly received operational support from individuals tied to the Sinaloa Cartel and worked with the previously designated Hernández Salas organization.
  • The designations block any assets under U.S. jurisdiction and bar U.S. persons from doing business with the listed individuals and 16 front companies in Mexico, India, and the UAE.
  • Treasury said the group charged thousands of dollars per person and announced the action in coordination with HSI, the DEA, and Mexico’s Financial Intelligence Unit.