Over 10,000 crocodiles owned by recently designated Jaime Rosenthal are reportedly starving due to lack of funds for food and workers wages.

This is all just more bad news this month for the banking magnate.   On October 7, 2015 the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated Yankel Antonio Coello Rosenthal, Yani Benjamin Hidalgo Rosenthal, and Jaime Ronaldo Oliva Rosenthal. The Rosenthals were designated for allegedly laundering money and aiding in illicit narcotics related activities. OFAC designated the family members as well as several companies which they either wholly or partially owned including Banco Continental, Desland Overseas, Empacadora Continental, Inverciones Continental, Preyden Investments, and Shelimar Investments and Real Estate Holdings.

One company not on the designation list is Jaime Rosenthal’s Concondrilos Continental. The 70 acre property in San Manuel, Honduras reportedly houses over 10,000 crocodiles which are farmed for their meat and skin. Though the farm is not specifically designated, it is majority owned by Jaime Rosenthal.   The Rosenthals spent around $1 million a year on the upkeep of the farm, yet, since the asset freeze and the ban on organizations conducting business with the designees, workers at the Rosenthal’s farm have not received wages and have begun a strike. With workers refusing to feed the animals, the creatures have slowly been starving with reports stating that 40 animals have already died and been removed for burial. There are also reports of 7 now emaciated lions caged on the property as well.

The Honduran government has tried to step in delivering around 3,000 pounds of chickens for feed but workers refused to feed the reptiles saying in defense that the chickens would not be enough food regardless because crocodiles eat the equivalent of half a horse a day.

So is the U.S. government to blame and what can be done for the crocs? Well, considering that Jaime Rosenthal himself admitted business dealings with well known South American traffickers its clear to see why OFAC would move forward with a designation. To rectify the issue, OFAC could choose to release a general license such as the one recently issued for the wind down of Rosenthal owned Banco Continental. That license allowed a window of time in which individuals could conduct business relating to the liquidation or wind down of the designated Banco Continental. Such a license would hypothetically allow individuals to transact with Crocodilo Continental only in so far as transactions would relate to the possible wind down of the business or the aid or transfer of the animals.

Another and possibly better method for OFAC would be to release a general license similar to the one issued for earthquake relief in Iran after the natural disaster in Bam. That license, Iran General License C allowed a 90 day period in which U.S. persons could transfer funds to U.S. based non-profits for relief efforts in Iran. Similarly in this case OFAC could issue a license allowing U.S. persons to transfer funds to U.S. based non-profits looking to aid or extract the animals from their current situation.

With the crocodile situation gaining a great amount of media attention, it may very well be that a general license may soon be issued. And as news came last week that Yani Rosenthal had surrendered to authorities and that Jaime Rosenthal’s health is precarious, this is a story that is still unfolding. As for the animals, unless OFAC issues a general license or a brave soul is willing to voluntarily feed 11,000+ hungry crocodiles and seven lions, their future does not look very bright.