OFAC, an agency within theS. Four people and 11 organizations connected to the CDN were penalized by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the Department of the Treasury. These actions, detailed in files sb0146, sb0219, jy0535, and citing 2013, 2015, 15, 2021, 0535, 2020, 2017, 31, 501, 20501, 21, build on prior efforts. An arson attack linked to the cartel killed 52 people. Those providing information leading to enforcement action may be eligible for rewards reaching 1,000,000. Sanctioned entities include 455 seized horses, construction, trucking, fuel, and quarter horse racing businesses. Treasury officials state that these businesses have been used to launder illicit funds and support cartel operations.
Task Force investigations involving Homeland Security show how the cartel uses commercial fronts. With 40 percent of 4 million, 500, 2025, 25, 20, and 50 figures, it highlights threats. Between 2008 and 2012, the Treasury reported that the cartel used American racing competitions for quarter horses to launder drug proceeds. This history traces back to an FBI investigation involving a 2012 Oklahoma farm raid. Club La Molienda in Nuevo Laredo remains a revenue source for the group. This follows the 2011 casino attack and the 2009 identification of the CDN, then known as Los Zetas, as a narcotics trafficker.
Regarding 14 sanctions, officials on April 14, 2026, cited order 0440 to target associates. These individuals spent $16 million over a 30-month period, as noted in the 20261013 report. These individuals supposedly used a group of fuel and building firms to secure public contracts and support political campaigns for their preferred candidates. Investigators allege these companies also helped facilitate the vertical integration of cartel-backed construction projects in the region.
Additional sanctions targeted a trucking firm and its employees, which federal authorities claim were utilized for the international smuggling of narcotics. The Treasury notes that these operations allowed the cartel to infiltrate local governance and undermine regional stability near major ports of entry.
These designations were made pursuant to Executive Order 14059 and Executive Order 13224. These sanctions mandate that blocked entities must have their assets held under U.S. jurisdiction to be blocked. Financial institutions and insurance professionals must prioritize strict screening procedures, specifically referencing the list of Blocked Persons and Specially Designated Nationals. Engaging in transactions with these entities or individuals may lead to significant civil or criminal penalties, including potential secondary sanctions for foreign financial institutions found to be facilitating such activity.
Image is an illustration created with AI for general context
Source: U.S. Department of the Treasury
