PUERTO VALLARTA (PVDN) – The Darkest Chapter Yet: Inside the US’s Relentless Crackdown on the Thriving Empire of Mexico’s Most Dangerous Drug Cartels. Discover the shocking secrets of Franco Tabárez Martínez, the newest name on the Treasury Department’s feared ‘black list’, and uncover the terrifying new trend of ‘Rainbow Fentanyl’ luring young victims into a lethal trap. With vast networks extending from the lawless lands of Guerrero, Mexico, to the metropolitan heartlands of Atlanta and Houston, this ruthless operator moves cocaine, fentanyl, and a staggering ton of methamphetamine across borders every two months.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s “black list” has a new member, Franco Tabárez Martínez, a notorious drug trafficker hailing from the State of Guerrero, Mexico. Martínez is linked with the rising criminal group, the New Michoacan Family, as announced by U.S. authorities this Wednesday. This recent development follows the White House’s recent crackdown on allies of Los Chapitos, including family members of Joaquín El Chapo Guzmán. This strategic move aims to destabilize the financial empire of organized crime and dismantle the Mexican cartels’ drug supply chains.
Martínez, the 39-year-old operator of the New Michoacan Family, was indicted by a Georgia court earlier this month on charges of drug trafficking. Despite details being sparse due to the declassified nature of the case, Martínez has a notorious reputation as a supplier to the Nueva Familia Michoacana. This successor organization to the original cartel has a worrying reputation for increasing shipments of “rainbow fentanyl”, a substance designed to attract young victims with its colorful pills.
According to the U.S. Embassy in Mexico, “Martínez distributes cocaine, fentanyl, and approximately one ton of methamphetamine every two months.” He is also allegedly running two drug laboratories in Mexico, specializing in crystal meth production, and is involved in trafficking powdered fentanyl from China. His extensive trafficking routes span across major metropolitan areas in the Southern United States, including Atlanta and Houston.
Last year, Martínez spent a year in U.S. custody for methamphetamine trafficking. His current designation on the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) “black list” comes from his involvement in criminal activities that pose a significant material risk to the international proliferation of illicit drugs and their means of production. This designation freezes his assets in the international banking system, as well as his businesses.
Martínez is not the only member of the Nueva Familia Michoacana to be targeted by U.S. authorities. In November last year, the alleged two leaders of the organization, Johnny and José Hurtado, were added to the OFAC blacklist. The U.S. has been working to undermine the economic power of the cartel since 2009, highlighting its presence in 35 municipalities in Southern Mexico.
