US Treasury Targets Ortega Family Inner Circle and Nicaraguan Gold Sector

The US Treasury targets the Ortega Murillo family and Nicaragua's gold sector with new sanctions aimed at disrupting funding for government repression.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 17, 2026, 9:56 AM EDT

Source: The Tico Times

Sanctions Hit the Presidential Inner Circle

In a significant escalation of diplomatic pressure, the U.S. Treasury has designated Maurice Facundo Ortega Murillo and Daniel Edmundo Ortega Murillo for their roles within the Nicaraguan government. The sanctions also extend to Santiago Hernan Bermudez Tapia, the Vice Minister of Energy and Mines, signaling a direct strike against the administrative heart of the regime. By targeting the presidential family, the United States is attempting to isolate the core leadership of the Ortega-Murillo administration and limit their ability to leverage state resources for personal and political preservation.

The Gold Industry as a Tool of Repression

Gold has emerged as Nicaragua’s primary commodity export, but the U.S. government alleges the sector has been systematically restructured to serve as a private revenue stream for the regime. According to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, the profits from these mining operations are diverted to equip, train, and pay salaries for paramilitary groups involved in the suppression of domestic dissent. The sanctioned entities including Exportadora de Metales S.A. (EMSA) and Grupo Minero Xiloa S.A.—are accused of operating as intermediaries that funnel wealth from the earth directly into the state’s repressive machinery.

Confiscation of American Assets and Corporate Seizures

A critical factor in these latest designations is the 2025 seizure of a U.S.-owned gold processing plant belonging to BHMB Mining Nicaragua S.A. The Treasury reported that newly sanctioned companies, such as Zhong Fu Development S.A. and Santa Rita Mining Company S.A., were directly involved in the forcible takeover of the facility after the Nicaraguan government rescinded the company’s license without compensation. This move highlights a growing trend of state-sponsored expropriation of foreign investments, which the U.S. is now countering by blocking these companies' access to the international financial system.