On April 16, 2026, the U.S. government announced new sanctions against the Ortega-Murillo dictatorship. The measures directly target the gold trade, one of the regime’s main economic drivers.

Among those sanctioned are two sons of the ruling couple: Maurice Ortega Murillo and Daniel Edmundo Ortega Murillo. Both hold government positions, and the U.S. accuses them of helping to sustain a repressive political system.

The sanctions were issued by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and involve freezing assets in the U.S. and prohibiting transactions with U.S. companies or citizens.

At the same time, the Deputy Minister of Energy and Mines, Santiago Bermúdez Tapia, was sanctioned. According to OFAC, several Nicaraguan government officials have used the mining sector to generate revenue that sustains the regime, making gold one of the country’s main sources of foreign currency.

However, the sanction is not limited to individuals: it includes several companies linked to the exploitation and export of gold, among them some companies that operate with concessions granted by the Ortega-Murillo dictatorship.

Among the mining companies named are Santa Rita Mining and Grupo Minero Xiloá. According to OFAC, both participate in the distribution of income to the Ortega-Murillo family and have even allegedly used the U.S. financial system to move funds.

On the other hand, the sanctions are also linked to the seizure of foreign assets in Nicaragua. Specifically, the case of the BHMB Mining Nicaragua S.A. mining plant, which had US capital, and which was taken over by actors linked to the government. According to OFAC, this was an illegal confiscation.

However, since 2018, the US has used economic and diplomatic sanctions to exert pressure on the Ortegas-Murillo. This is, therefore, a strategy that seeks to isolate the regime and limit its sources of financing.

However, the sanctions also reflect another concern: the growing role of foreign companies in Nicaraguan mining, especially those linked to Chinese capital and which have received extensive government concessions.

In that sense, the political message is clear: the conflict is not only diplomatic but also economic. The U.S. is trying to cut off the government’s access to international money, businesses, and financial networks. In other words, to attack the coffers of the Ortega-Murillo dynasty.