E8-10599. Unblocking of Specially Designated Narcotics Trafficker Pursuant to Executive Order 12978

AGENCY:

Office of Foreign Assets Control, Treasury.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) is publishing the name of three individuals whose property and interests in property have been unblocked pursuant to Executive Order 12978 of October 21, 1995, Blocking Assets and Prohibiting Transactions With Significant Narcotics Traffickers.

DATES:

The unblocking and removal from the list of Specially Designated Narcotics Traffickers of the individuals identified in this notice whose property and interests in property were blocked pursuant to Executive Order 12978 of October 21, 1995, is effective on May 7, 2008.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Assistant Director, Compliance Outreach & Implementation, Office of Foreign Assets Control, Department of the Treasury, Washington, DC 20220, tel.: [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Electronic and Facsimile Availability

This document and additional information concerning OFAC are available from OFAC's Web site (http://www.treas.gov/​ofac) via facsimile through a 24-hour fax-on demand service, tel.: [phone].

Background

On October 21, 1995, the President, invoking the authority, inter alia, of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701-1706) (“IEEPA”), issued Executive Order 12978 (60 FR 54579, October 24, 1995) (the “Order”). In the Order, the President declared a national emergency to deal with the threat posed by significant foreign narcotics traffickers centered in Colombia and the harm that they cause in the United States and abroad.

Section 1 of the Order blocks, with certain exceptions, all property and interests in property that are in the United States, or that hereafter come within the United States or that are or hereafter come within the possession or control of United States persons, of: (1) The persons listed in an Annex to the Order; (2) any foreign person determined by the Secretary of Treasury, in consultation with the Attorney General and Secretary of State, to play a significant role in international narcotics trafficking centered in Colombia; or (3) to materially assist in, or provide financial or technological support for or goods or services in support of, the narcotics trafficking activities of persons designated in or pursuant to this order; and (4) persons determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Attorney General and the Secretary of State, to be owned or controlled by, or to act for or on behalf of, persons designated pursuant to this Order.

On May 7, 2008, the Director of OFAC removed from the list of Specially Designated Narcotics Traffickers the individuals listed below, whose property and interests in property were blocked pursuant to the Order.

The listing of the unblocked individuals follows:

1. GOMEZ POVEDA, Gustavo, c/o C A V J CORPORATION LTDA., Bogota, Colombia; DOB 8 Nov 1960; Cedula No. 19416811 (Colombia); Passport 19416811 (Colombia) (individual) [SDNT].

2. GALLEGO SANCHEZ, Isaac, c/o DISMERCOOP, Cali, Colombia; c/o GRACADAL S.A., Cali, Colombia; DOB 3 Nov 1953; Cedula No. 6457399 (Colombia) (individual) [SDNT].

3. BENITEZ CASTELLANOS, Cesar Tulio, c/o DROGAS LA REBAJA, Cali, Colombia; c/o RIONAP COMERCIOS Y REPRESENTACIONES S.A., Quito, Ecuador; c/o D'CACHE S.A., Cali, Colombia; c/o INVERSIONES MONDRAGON Y CIA. S.C.S., Cali, Colombia; c/o INVERSIONES Y CONSTRUCCIONES ABC S.A., Cali, Colombia; Carrera 65 No. 13B-82, Cali, Colombia; c/o COMUNICACION VISUAL LTDA., Cali, Colombia; Cedula No. 14969366 (Colombia) (individual) [SDNT].

Dated: May 7, 2008.

Adam J. Szubin,

Director, Office of Foreign Assets Control.