U.S. targets mother-in-law of Mexican drug lord

The United States on Thursday slapped sanctions on the mother-in-law of Mexican drug lord Juan Jose Esparragoza Moreno for helping to hide assets.

The Department of Treasury added Alejandra Araujo Uriarte, a Mexican national, to its list of specially designated narcotics traffickers, citing her role in "holding and concealing assets" in her name on behalf of Esparragoza Moreno, the leader of the Sinaloa cartel.

Sanctions ensuing include a freeze of all assets of Araujo Uriarte under U.S. jurisdiction and banning American citizens from doing business with her.

Previously, the Treasury also imposed sanctions on Esparragoza Moreno's wife Ofelia Monzon Araujo, who allegedly transferred land in Culiacan, Sinaloa, to her mother "in an attempt to hide these assets and evade sanctions."

Washington identified Esparragoza Moreno and the Sinaloa cartel as significant foreign narcotics traffickers in 2003 and 2009, respectively. The U.S. State Department and Mexican authorities are posting a separate bounty of 5 million dollars and 30 million pesos (about 2.1 million U.S. dollars) for information on the drug lord.

The Treasury has targeted more than 1,700 individuals and entities worldwide for their involvement in drug trafficking since June 2000. Enditem