New Treasury sanctions on a major Costa Rican trafficking ring highlight the hidden risks in global logistics and visitor management.
Designation
February 2026
New Designation: The U.S. Treasury has sanctioned Luis Manuel Picado Grijalba and his network for trafficking cocaine through Costa Rica. This action targets the entire supply chain, including logistics facilitators and money laundering fronts.
Is your visitor management system updated to screen for these new entities? SecurePoint USA refreshes the OFAC SDN list daily from Treasury's published data.
OFAC designated Luis Manuel Picado Grijalba and his Costa Rica-based network for trafficking cocaine to the U.S. and Europe.
The network used legitimate-looking businesses in fishing (ASOLIPES) and aesthetics to launder money and move product.
Family members were designated for managing front companies and notarizing fraudulent transactions.
Narcotics trafficking isn't just a law enforcement issue; it's a corporate compliance risk. These networks integrate into the legitimate economy through front companies in logistics, agriculture, and services.
If your business engages with a vendor or visitor owned by these sanctioned individuals, you face strict liability for violations. Ignorance of the ownership structure is not a defense.
"The entire drug trafficking supply chain, from shipping facilitators to money launderers, bears responsibility..." (Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent)
Where compliance gaps leave you vulnerable
Criminal groups fight for control of ports like Moín. Your shipping and logistics partners must be vetted against these rising threats.
Traffickers use shell companies in innocuous industries (beauty salons, fishing associations) to hide illicit funds. Standard checks might miss them.
Sanctions extend to entities owned 50% or more by blocked persons. You need to know who truly owns the vendors visiting your site.
Deployment of advanced screening technology is your first line of defense against inadvertently aiding sanctioned networks.
Check visitors and vendors against the most recently loaded OFAC Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List.
Compliance teams can review recorded ownership relationships for a vendor before a visit. Coverage depends on available ownership data.
Recurring vendors, employees, and contractors can be re-screened on a schedule you set, and a new possible match goes to a reviewer.
Keep an append-only record of every screen and adjudication for regulatory reviews.
Steps to address these specific threats.
See how SecurePoint USA's screening engine checks visitors and vendors against sanctions lists at check-in.
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Related posts
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The June 1, 2026 OFAC settlement with FTI Consulting exposes a dangerous compliance blind spot: how letting invoices to sanctioned entities sit unpaid can violate U.S. credit regulations.
Treasury’s latest SDN removals show why sanctions screening needs list hygiene, re-screening, false-positive controls, and audit-ready evidence, not just one-time checks.
