The United States has sanctioned four individuals and 11 entities tied to the Mexico-based Cartel del Noreste (CDN), crippling the financial infrastructure of one of the most violent terrorist cartels in the Western Hemisphere. These sanctions are being implemented by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
The individuals and entities sanctioned have been involved in quarter horse racing, construction, trucking, and the oil and gas sectors that have facilitated CDN’s operations, including the movement of illicit proceeds, logistical support, and other activities benefiting the cartel.
These sanctions expose “Cartel del Noreste’s exploitation of the horse racing sector to launder illicit proceeds and finance cartel operations,” said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. “This action marks Treasury’s most significant effort to date to disrupt Cartel del Noreste’s financial infrastructure.”
CDN, which evolved from its predecessor Los Zetas, is responsible for some of the deadliest mass‑casualty attacks in Mexican history. CDN also poses a serious threat to the United States and the region.
CDN’s stronghold sits directly across the border from Laredo, Texas, the busiest port of entry on the southern border, where nearly 40 percent of all commercial traffic between the United States and Mexico crosses. This deep entrenchment in cross-border industries, combined with CDN’s ability to infiltrate local governments, steer public contracts, and manipulate regional elections, undermines legitimate authority and destabilizes communities on both sides of the border.
In keeping with President Donald Trump’s pledge to eliminate cartels, OFAC has prioritized targeting these and other criminal groups that threaten the welfare of Americans in close coordination with the Homeland Security Task Force, taking nearly 40 actions against over 500 individuals and entities since the beginning of 2025. OFAC uses a network-based approach to simultaneously disrupt as many different facets of the cartels as possible, from their leadership and key organizational nodes to facilitators and enablers, such as corrupt officials, complicit family members, and ostensibly legitimate front persons.
“Cartels flood American communities with fentanyl, crystal methamphetamine, heroin, marijuana, and cocaine,” said State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott in a statement. “Let this serve as a notice to every CDN leader, financier, and business partner, the United States will pursue you, your assets, and your criminal enterprise no matter where you attempt to hide. There is no safe haven for those who finance or profit from CDN’s violence and destruction.”