U.S. Attorney General cites asset forfeiture as weapon against drug cartels

by Mary Spicuzza

Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. on Thursday spoke about using asset seizure and forfeiture to go after Mexican drug cartels during an appearance before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary. Holder spoke of the goals, work and priorities of the U.S. Department of Justice, addressing topics ranging from counter-terrorism efforts and closing detention facilities at Guantanamo to investigating mortgage fraud and violent cartels.

He specifically cited the Justice Department's strategy for confronting violence, corruption and other threats posed by cartels. "This strategy uses federal prosecutor-led task forces that bring together federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to identify, disrupt and dismantle the Mexican drug cartels through investigation, prosecution, and extradition of their key leaders and facilitators, and seizure and forfeiture of their assets," Holder said in his statement. "The Department is increasing its focus on investigations and prosecutions of the southbound smuggling of guns and cash that fuel the violence and corruption, as well as attacking the cartels in Mexico itself, in partnership with the Mexican Attorney General's Office and the Secretariat of Public Security."

Holder's statements about seizure and forfeiture of cartels' assets come a month after President Barack Obama imposed financial sanctions on three of Mexico's most violent cartels — Sinaloa, Los Zetas and La Familia Michoacana — by adding them to the list of foreign "drug kingpins." The move to designate the trio under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act allows the U.S. government to seize or block the cartels' assets, accounts or securities subject to U.S. jurisdiction and prosecute U.S. citizens or companies who work with them.

Recently, the U.S. Department of State also released its Country Reports on Terrorism 2008, which criticized Mexico's recent terrorist financing law for its lack of asset forfeiture provisions, but offered praise for the country's efforts to combat violent cartels.

Source: Asset Forfeiture Watch