A Florida company that offers elite sports training will pay $1.72 million to settle potential civil liability for allowing the children of suspected Mexican drug traffickers to take part in its programs. 

The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said IMG Academy entered into annual tuition enrollment agreements with two individuals designated under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act. The company “dealt in the property or interests in property” of the two designees a total of 89 times between 2019 and 2025, processing a total of 83 related transactions, OFAC said.  

One of the sanctioned individuals enrolled a child in January 2018 and renewed the tuition agreements annually for five academic years through the child’s graduation in 2023, with annual obligations ranging from $47,026 for half a semester to $98,867 for a full academic year. 

A second designated individual enrolled a child in July 2020 and renewed annually for two academic years until the child withdrew in June 2022, with annual obligations ranging from $100,549 to $102,235, according to OFAC. 

The payments largely involved third-party wire transfers and credit-card payments. IMG Academy received wires from non-designated third parties, primarily located in Mexico. 

While the company didn’t self-disclose the sanctions violations, it did offer “substantial cooperation” once the illicit activity was flagged, OFAC said. 

Read more at OFAC