Scams Targeting US Tourists ‘Important Source of Revenue’ for Jalisco Cartel Daniel Alonso Viña - El Pais
go to original June 12, 2023

The case of seven young people who were disappeared in the Mexican state of Jalisco and later murdered has shed light on an an international scam that allegedly involves the Jalisco Nueva Generación cartel (CJNG) – a powerful criminal organization whose main activity is the trafficking of fentanyl and other drugs into the United States. A network of companies exposed by the US authorities reveals the ability of organized crime to increase its sources of income, thanks to a diverse array of illicit companies.

In April, the US Department of the Treasury exposed a network of companies connected to the CJNG, but which were engaged in businesses more subtle than drug trafficking. One of these firms – a Puerto Vallarta-based cell of the criminal group – had specialized in stealing the savings of retired Americans, by making them believe they were buying or renting a vacation home on the coveted beaches of Mexico. The authorities have not been able to confirm whether the seven disappeared young people were participants in this illegal activity, but they’ve been leaving small clues as the investigation unfolds. The relatives of the victims, meanwhile, have denounced the “criminalization” of their murdered loved ones.

Through a statement, the US authorities announced sanctions against seven individuals and 19 companies connected to the Mexican cartel. Brian Nelson – undersecretary of Financial Intelligence at the Department of the Treasury – has highlighted the importance of this activity for the financing of the CJNG cartel in Puerto Vallarta: “CJNG’s deep involvement in timeshare fraud in the Puerto Vallarta area and elsewhere – which often targets elderly U.S. citizens and can defraud victims of their life savings – is an important revenue stream, supporting the group’s overall criminal enterprise.”

The favorite victims of this scheme were “elderly American citizens,” according to a recent report by the US Treasury. “U.S. citizens should exercise caution when considering time-share investments or purchasing real estate,” warns a notice by the US Embassy in Mexico, posted in May of 2023. The procedure is always the same: first, the intermediaries claim to have sellers ready. Later, the scammers ask the buyers to advance some money that is needed to pay supposed fees or taxes. Once they have the money in their accounts, the scammers disappear.

Read the rest at El Pais

Related: FBI Issues Warning to American Timeshare Owners in Mexico: $40 Million Lost to Scams in 2022 (Vallarta Daily News)

Related: Activist: Kidnapping, Killings of Call Center Workers in Mexico Has Been Happening for Years (Associated Press)

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