The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control announced Thursday that it had sanctioned the group, which it dubbed the Abdul Karim Conteh Human Smuggling Organization, as well as Conteh, his wife, and two others. The Treasury Department said the organization provided migrants with fraudulent documents; leveraged the U.S. financial system to receive payments; transported migrants to the border and advised them on how to cross; and maintained affiliations with other groups in other countries who helped funnel the migrants to Mexico.

By ALEX RIGGINS | alex.riggins@sduniontribune.com | The San Diego Union-Tribune