U.S. Targets Four International Criminal Organizations

The Obama administration announced new sanctions against four international criminal organizations on Monday in an attempt to cripple their reach into the United States.

In an executive order signed Sunday, President Obama authorized sanctions against Los Zetas, a violent Mexican drug ring; the Yakuza, Japan's highly organized mob (also known as Boryokudan or Gokudo); the Camorra, a crime network based in southern Italy; and the Brothers' Circle (a.k.a. Family of 11 or The 20), an Eastern European criminal group operating worldwide.

The order freezes the groups' assets, blocks them from owning American property, authorizes financial sanctions against anyone aiding them and bars their members from entering the U.S.