Notorious Familia Michoacana Cartel Sanctioned by U.S. Government Over Rainbow Fentanyl

The U.S. Treasury Department on Thursday announced sanctions on another notorious Mexican drug cartel, the Familia Michoacana cartel, accused of manufacturing so-called "rainbow fentanyl" pills allegedly aimed at children.

According to the Associated Press, the department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) blocked any U.S. properties belonging to cartel leaders, the Hurtado brothers.

Jose Alfredo "El Fresa" Hurtado and his brother Johnny "El Pescado" Hurtado lead the Familia Michoacana cartel that also traffics cocaine, meth, and heroin. The U.S. Treasury Department also prohibited U.S. citizens from making any deals with them.

In a statement, Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson said the Familia Michoacana cartel not only traffic fentanyl, but also now markets rainbow fentanyl "as part of a deliberate effort to drive addiction amongst kids and young adults." Nelson noted that fentanyl already claimed the lives of more than 108,000 Americans last year.

The Treasury Department has already sanctioned a group of people and companies connected to Mexico's powerful Sinaloa Cartel, including a sibling involved in the family-run Valenzuela drug trafficking group, last month.

Who Are the Familia Michoacana Cartel?

According to Fox 5, the Familia Michoacana cartel is known as the La Nueva Familia Michoacana cartel in Mexico. It reportedly operates in about 35 Mexican municipalities and still expanding.

The Hurtado brothers are considered two of the most wanted men in Mexico. They have a reward of up to half a million pesos for information leading to their arrest.

Johnny is also wanted in the U.S. and has been a fugitive for more than 20 years under American law because of the two federal charges of attempted possession and distribution of cocaine he acquired in 2000.

According to Sunday World, the drug cartel's modus operandi in distributing fentanyl is to disguise them as common drugs such as Adderall, Xanax or Oxycodone. However, they started distributing a rainbow variant to distinguish their product.

Like other infamous Mexican drug cartels, such as the Sinaloa Cartel, the Beltran Leyva group, and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, the Familia Michoacana is also is known for being very violent.

The cartel were reportedly responsible for the massacre of 20 people in the town of Totolapan, Guerrero last month. The Familia Michoacana cartel reportedly dominates the area.

However, Jose Alfredo, believed to have masterminded the killings, has purportedly tried to use social media to blame a rival gang. The victims included the town's mayor, his father, and 18 other men.

The Rainbow Fentanyl Debate

While the Familia Michoacana cartel has been known for rainbow fentanyl, the drug has sparked debates in the U.S. and Mexico on whether or not it is truly marketed toward children.

Several government officials and media personalities have claimed that these drugs were designed to attract children, but evidence shows it may not be.

According to the Associated Press, the multicolored fentanyl pills may have been manufactured to distinguish the cartel's brand. Other cartels usually ship fentanyl to the U.S. as blue pills, but the Familia Michoacana cartel distribute these rainbow pills to appear more like candy or children's vitamins.

Fox 5 reported that rainbow fentanyl is sold in pill and in powdered forms. Its bright colors and candy-esque design are reportedly used to attract children and young users.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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