WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of the Treasury on Thursday imposed sweeping sanctions on the Bhardwaj Human Smuggling Organization, a sprawling criminal network accused of trafficking thousands of migrants from across the globe into the United States. The crackdown targets the group’s leader, dual Indian-Mexican national Vikrant Bhardwaj, along with three associates and 16 companies operating in Mexico, India, and the United Arab Emirates.
Officials said the Bhardwaj Human Smuggling Organization, based in Cancun, Mexico, used yachts, marinas, and hotels to smuggle people from Europe, the Middle East, South America, and Asia through Mexico and across the U.S. border. The operation also allegedly engaged in drug trafficking, bribery, and money laundering — often with support from members of the Sinaloa Cartel.
“At the direction of Secretary Bessent and President Trump, the Treasury Department is taking action to crack down on human smugglers,” said Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence John K. Hurley. “Today’s action, in collaboration with our law enforcement partners, disrupts this network’s ability to smuggle illegal aliens into the United States.”
The sanctions, authorized under Executive Order 13581 as amended, were coordinated with Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and Mexico’s financial intelligence unit, Unidad de Inteligencia Financiera.
According to the Treasury Department, Bhardwaj used his network of companies — including real estate, energy, and tourism businesses — to launder profits from human smuggling. His wife, Indu Rani, allegedly managed portions of the financial operation as co-owner of several firms tied to Bhardwaj. Both were sanctioned, along with close associates Jose German Valadez Flores, a businessman who allegedly bribed Mexican officials, and Jorge Alejandro Mendoza Villegas, a former police officer accused of facilitating migrant travel through Cancun International Airport.
Among the designated entities are Mexican yachting and tourism firms, Indian real estate developers, UAE-based trading companies, and several shell corporations believed to mask illicit proceeds. All assets linked to the sanctioned individuals and businesses within the United States are now frozen, and American citizens and companies are prohibited from conducting transactions with them.
Treasury officials said the designations are intended to freeze assets, isolate the targets from the U.S. and international financial system, and disrupt illicit revenue streams in order to pressure the network to change its behavior.
The Bhardwaj network’s exposure highlights how transnational criminal groups have exploited international finance and travel corridors to funnel migrants into the U.S. — a challenge the administration has vowed to confront with renewed intensity.
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