The Act also prohibits any "United States person" from conducting business with any designated foreign narcotics traffickers, and provides for both civil penalties and criminal prosecution for violations.

The creation of the Kingpin Act followed President Bill Clinton's use of Executive Order 12978 to target and isolate members of the Cali Cartel of Colombia beginning in 1995.

The Order targeted the leadership of the Cali Cartel, at the time the largest narcotrafficking organization in Colombia, by adding their names to the Treasury's Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List.

[10] The Kingpin Act contains details about how narcotics traffickers and their associates are identified and designated for sanctions; how property is blocked; enforcement against violations; and the ongoing review of the program.

However, as much of the information used to justify targeting a significant foreign narcotics trafficker is Classified or Law Enforcement Sensitive a more detailed classified report is provided solely to the United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.

These include foreign persons (including corporate persons) found to be: When announcing new or revised sanctions, Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control has released network map illustrations detailing relationships between and among designated significant foreign narcotics traffickers and derivative designees in alleged drug trafficking organizations, e.g., the relationships of "Tier I" traffickers Benjamín Arellano Félix and Ramón Arellano Félix with "Tier II" subordinates and front companies within the Tijuana Cartel.

As with many United States sanctions programs, the Kingpin Act imposes a set of requirements for those involved in international trade.

[17] The Kingpin Act forbids United States persons from activities that have "the effect of evading or avoiding, and any endeavor, attempt, or conspiracy to violate" prohibitions against transacting business with designated narcotraffickers.

[19] Every presidency since 2000 has made Kingpin Act designations, including Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joseph R. Biden.

[25][26] In August 2016, AXA Equitable Life Insurance Company and Humana, Inc each received a Finding of Violation for failing to cease transacting business with three customers who were named under the Kingpin Act.

[UvG 1] Since that Opinion, the Kingpin Act charge of "Engaging in Transactions and Dealings in Properties of a Designated Significant Foreign Narcotics Trafficker" has been employed twice against the Mexican-American relatives of high-profile Mexican cartel narcotraffickers.

The United States Attorney for the District of Columbia charged Oseguera González with the Kingpin Act crime of Engaging in Transactions or Dealings in Properties of a Designated Foreign Person for her role as nominal owner and officer of six businesses designated for providing material support to the narcotics trafficking activities of the CJNG and her father, the fugitive and accused CJNG boss Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, “El Mencho.” The U.S. Attorney also charged Oseguera González of assisting her uncle, Abigael González Valencia, leader of the CJNG-allied gang Los Cuinis.

[UvC 5][32][33] Judge Contreras did not sentence Coronel to the four years requested by prosecutors, noting that she was a teenager when she married Guzman and admitted her guilt upon capture.