U.S. freezes assets of alleged drug trafficker

? The U.S. Treasury Department said Wednesday it has frozen the assets of a fun park, a horse farm and dozens of other Colombian entities and individuals allegedly linked to a drug lord captured this month in Brazil.

In another blow against the alleged drug operation of Juan Carlos Ramirez Abadia – nicknamed “Chupeta,” or “Lollipop” – Colombian police also said they arrested a powerful associate accused of serving as an intermediary between Colombian traffickers and Mexico’s Tijuana cartel.

Jhon Marroquin, who is wanted in the U.S. on drug trafficking charges, was captured near the city of Cali in a joint operation with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, police said in a statement Tuesday.

Marroquin “was in charge of exporting 500 tons of cocaine to the U.S. through Mexico over the past 10 years,” said Gen. Alvaro Caro, commander of Colombia’s anti-narcotics police.

The move prohibits any U.S. company or individual from doing business with 23 individuals and 23 companies, and freezes any assets they have in U.S. jurisdictions.