Ortega and Murillo’s children face new United States sanctions for their link to Nicaragua’s mining sector. The Treasury Department, via its Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), targeted on Thursday April 16, 2026 Daniel Edmundo Ortega Murillo and Maurice Facundo Ortega Murillo, along with key officials and companies in gold extraction.
Vice Minister and affected operators
Among the sanctioned is Santiago Hernán Bermúdez Tapia, Vice Minister of Energy and Mines since 2007, appointed under Executive Order 13851. Also listed are Nelson Francisco Sobalvarro, representative of COMINTSA, and attorney Lester Matus Tamariz, accused of participating in the confiscation of U.S. properties in Nicaragua. A Chinese citizen completes the list of individuals.
Mining companies under fire for gold commercialization
Seven mining firms received measures: Exportadora de Metales Sociedad Anónima (EMSA), Grupo Minero Xiloa SA (Minero), Thomas Metal SA, Nicaragua Xinxin Linze Mineria Group SA (Xinxin), Brother Metal SA, Zhong Fu and Santa Rita. Washington alleges they took control of an operation with U.S. investment to sell gold in international markets, including the United States.
Context of the gold scheme
These actions are part of a broader pattern. The Nicaraguan government restructured the gold sector with intermediaries to generate revenue, evade previous sanctions and reinforce political control. The State Department links this to the concentration of power in the ruling family, with Ortega and Murillo’s children in strategic positions such as presidential delegate for Sports (Maurice) and president of the Communication Council (Daniel Edmundo, 46).
Gold represents a vital source of foreign exchange for Nicaragua, with exports exceeding $700 million in 2025 according to Central Bank data. Experts at Confidencial note that this network benefits Chinese companies and sustains the regime amid economic isolation.
- Key impact: Asset freeze and prohibition of transactions with U.S. entities.
- Background: Prior sanctions on Ortega and Murillo since 2018 for post‑election repression.
- Official reaction: The regime labels the measures as imperialist aggression.
These sanctions intensify pressure on the financing of power in Nicaragua, focused on Ortega and Murillo’s children and their role in the gold business. The scheme reveals how the mining sector funds the family’s perpetuation in government.
