Lawyers are advising clients with business in Central America to tread carefully after the U.S. government earlier this month expanded the list of individuals it believes have facilitated corruption or undermined democracy in El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala.

“This action broadens the scope of U.S. interest and should put businessmen and legal practitioners on notice of the greater focus by the United States in this geographical area,” Pedro Freyre, the Miami-based chair of the international practice at Akerman, told Law.com International via email.