Treasury Targets an HSI San Diego Investigation of Transnational Criminal Organization Responsible for Smuggling Migrants Into US

Action taken in coordination with U.S. and Mexico partners

SAN DIEGO — The U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned the Abdul Karim Conteh human smuggling organization, a transnational criminal organization based in Tijuana, Mexico.

Special agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) are investigating this case with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California, the U.S. Border Patrol’s San Diego Sector’s Anti-Smuggling Unit, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the IRS’ Criminal Investigation division and the FBI. This designation was enabled by key data from Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network.

“Identifying, designating and sanctioning transnational human smuggling commitment organizations is an important step in combatting this illicit activity and holding these individuals and organizations accountable,” said HSI San Diego acting Special Agent in Charge Christpher Davis. “This coordinated effort highlights HSI’s to working with partner agencies as we continue to investigate human smuggling organizations that impact our country.”

Human smuggling is a federal crime in which criminals smuggle noncitizens into the United States, as well as transport and harbor noncitizens already in the country illegally, all in deliberate violation of U.S. immigration laws. Together with Department of Homeland Security components and other U.S. and foreign partners, OFAC targets these networks to disrupt their finances and illicit profits and ultimately dismantle their operations, which threaten the national security of the United States.

“Today’s action is designed to disrupt the illicit finances and profits of a prominent human smuggling organization,” said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson. “Those designated today have illegally enriched themselves by exploiting and endangering desperate migrants in search of a better life. Today’s designations demonstrate the Administration’s commitment to using all available tools to address the crisis on the southwest border.”

Additionally, OFAC coordinated this action with the Government of Mexico, including La Unidad de Inteligencia Financiera, Mexico’s Financial Intelligence Unit.

In violation of U.S. immigration laws, the Tijuana-based Karim human smuggling organization has smuggled migrants into the United States for its own financial gain for years. In addition to providing migrants with fraudulent documents, members of the operation leveraged the U.S. financial system to receive payments for its illicit smuggling operations. The organization’s standard methodology is to transport migrants to the United States border and advise them on how to cross the border illegally. Its reach extends regionally and globally; for example, the organization maintains affiliations in, and has coordinated the movement of migrants through, Nicaragua.

Sierra Leonean national Abdul Karim Conteh, the leader of the human smuggling organization sanctioned in this case, is responsible for the smuggling of thousands of migrants from Africa, China, the Middle East, Russia, Central Asia and other jurisdictions into the United States. Karim’s wife, Mexican national Veronica Roblero Pivaral, plays a variety of critical roles in the organization, ranging from driving migrants to the U.S. border to receiving payments for smuggling operations.

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In addition to the pair, OFAC sanctioned Togolese national Pasaman Francis Marin Abbe Pidoukou and Sierra Leonean national Issa Kamara. Both members of the Karim human smuggling organization, Pasaman and Issa are responsible for facilitating the transport of migrants for the organization.

The Department of Treasury’s sanctions also complement an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California.

OFAC’s action also sanctioned the Karim human smuggling organization pursuant to Executive Order 13581, as amended by Executive Order 13863, for being a foreign person that constitutes a significant transnational criminal organization. OFAC sanctioned Karim, Veronica, Pasaman and Issa for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, the Karim human smuggling organization.

Sanctions Implications

As a result of this action, all property and interests in property of the designated persons described above that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC. In addition, any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, individually or in the aggregate, 50% or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked. Unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC, or exempt, OFAC’s regulations generally prohibit all transactions by U.S. persons or within or transiting the United States that involve any property or interests in property of designated or otherwise blocked persons. U.S. persons may face civil or criminal penalties for violations.

In addition, financial institutions and other persons that engage in certain transactions or activities with the sanctioned entities and individuals may expose themselves to sanctions or be subject to an enforcement action. The prohibitions include the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any designated person, or the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person.