U.S. sanctions casinos and individuals tied to Northeast Cartel, near the Texas border

The measures target two casinos located in Tamaulipas—one just a few kilometers from the Texas border—and three individuals who, according to a Treasury statement, play key roles in activities such as money laundering, human trafficking, fentanyl smuggling, and extortion for the cartel.

Mexico’s Ministry of Finance, through its Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF), reported that it conducted financial, tax, and corporate analysis of those named by U.S. authorities. The investigation revealed that betting establishments operated under a single business network and detected “inconsistencies” between reported income and actual cash flows.

As a result, the UIF filed complaints with the Attorney General’s Office for the “probable commission of operations with illicit proceeds and tax crimes.”

Following the sanctions, announced by the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), all assets of those involved under U.S. jurisdiction are frozen, and American citizens and companies are prohibited from conducting any transactions with them.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the U.S. will continue focusing on dismantling the funding sources of cartels that “seek to sow terror” among Americans. “We will keep targeting the various revenue streams of these groups, including fentanyl and migrant trafficking into the United States,” he added.

Casinos Near the Texas Border One of the casinos, located in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas—very close to the Texas crossing—allegedly served as a tool to “integrate illicit profits into the formal financial system through gaming operations” and to store drugs such as fentanyl and cocaine, according to the statement.

The Treasury also claims the Northeast Cartel used the casino’s “back rooms” to “torture and intimidate alleged rivals.”

Another casino in Tampico, Tamaulipas, along with a betting website, is operated by the same company as the Nuevo Laredo venue, which was also sanctioned. Both establishments, along with the operating company, were penalized for “materially assisting, sponsoring, or providing financial support” to the cartel.

A Lawyer and an Activist Among Those Named Regarding the sanctioned individuals, the Treasury said one oversaw migrant trafficking networks in Nuevo Laredo, controlling crossings into the U.S. and managing “cash safe houses.”

The other two operated under seemingly legitimate professions. One, identified as a defense lawyer, allegedly provided support “beyond a normal client-attorney relationship,” acting as an intermediary between cartel members and leadership.

The other presented himself publicly as a human rights activist but, according to the Treasury, led efforts to “file false complaints against the Mexican army, pay people to attend protests, and protect the reputation of fallen or detained CDN members.”

“Using their positions as a façade, these individuals attempt to gain public trust while working behind the scenes to strengthen the cartel’s control over Nuevo Laredo and the surrounding border region,” the statement said.

The Treasury noted the investigation was the result of a coordinated operation with agencies such as the DEA, focused on dismantling financial and logistical networks sustaining drug trafficking.

The Northeast Cartel, which emerged by taking over operations from Los Zetas, was designated a foreign terrorist organization in 2025 by the Trump administration.

From its stronghold in Nuevo Laredo—one of the busiest commercial crossings between the two countries—the group controls strategic routes for drug and human trafficking and relies on violence to maintain dominance, according to the Treasury.