U.S. sanctions MS-13 gang members in Nicaragua and Honduras 

The U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on two individuals associated with the MS-13 criminal gang in Honduras and Nicaragua, as part of a broader effort to disrupt the group’s activities. 

"Treasury's sanctions against MS-13 aim to interrupt its use of the financial system to launder illicit proceeds," said Treasury department official Brian E. Nelson said in a statement.

“MS-13 is a violent, destabilizing threat to the security of people in Central America. Its criminal activities degrade economies in the region to such a degree that citizens are compelled to seek safety and better opportunities elsewhere,” he added. 

The sanctions were imposed against an MS-13 leader in Honduras and an associate of the gang in Nicaragua over their involvement in drug trafficking, violence, extortion, money laundering, and murder in Central America and the United States. 

According to the department, the Honduran MS-13 leader, Archaga Caria, has smuggled cocaine into the United States and ordered the death of rival gang members. 

Caria, better known as “Porky,” had been previously arrested in Honduras but managed to escape prison in 2020. He is one of the FBI’s top 10 most wanted fugitives and the department is offering up to $5 million for any information leading to his arrest. 

The MS-13 associate in Nicaragua, Campbell Licona, is being accused of laundering the proceeds from selling drugs through gang-owned businesses. He is currently in prison in Nicaragua. 

In recent years, U.S. authorities have ramped up their crackdown on MS-13 members. Several leaders have been arrested and charged with crimes associated with terrorism.