In Atlanta to promote fentanyl actions, Yellen announces sanctions against Mexican cartel

U.S., Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has announced new sanctions against members of La Nueva Familia Michoacana drug cartel, a notoriously violent group that wars for territorial control with a slate of other Mexican cartels. Announced Thursday in Atlanta to promote the Biden administration’s efforts to quell the import of illegal drugs, Yellen also issued an advisory to banks to help them identify and report suspicious transactions related to the sale and purchase of chemicals and equipment used to manufacture fentanyl and other synthetic opioids. “Combatting the trafficking of fentanyl is a significant challenge,” she said in a speech Thursday afternoon.