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The US Treasury Department last week sanctioned two casinos and three individuals for alleged ties to Mexico’s Cartel del Noreste. The action, announced April 14, targets what officials call a “money laundering and cash smuggling enterprise” operating on the US-Mexico border.
The cartel, a splinter group of the Los Zetas organization, was among several criminal groups designated as foreign terrorist organizations by the Trump administration in early 2025.
Disrupting the Cartel del Noreste financial network
The Cartel del Noreste is accused of trafficking people, weapons, and drugs, as well as engaging in extortion and extreme violence. Based in Nuevo Laredo—the busiest commercial port on the US-Mexico border—the group is the target of an intensifying federal crackdown.
Under the sanctions, the entities and individuals will have their US assets blocked and are prohibited from doing business with US persons.
Sanctioned venues: From Nuevo Laredo to Tampico
According to a CBS News article, Casino Centenario, located in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, is one of the two sanctioned venues. The Treasury Department alleges the cartel uses the casino as a hub to store drugs and launder illicit proceeds.
The other sanctioned entity is Diamante Casino in Tampico, Tamaulipas. In addition to its physical location, the casino operates an online betting site. Both businesses are linked to the company Comercializadora y Arrendadora de Mexico, S.A. de C.V. (CAMSA), which was also designated.
High-profile individuals accused of aiding cartel operations
The sanctioned individuals include Eduardo Javier Islas Valdez, attorney Juan Pablo Penilla Rodriguez, and activist Jesús Reymundo Ramos. The Treasury Department identified them as high-profile enablers of the cartel.
- Islas Valdez is accused of acting as the “gatekeeper” for the cartel’s human smuggling routes into Texas.
- Penilla Rodriguez allegedly provided illicit support and legal assistance to Miguel Angel Trevino Morales (alias Z-40), a leader of Los Zetas. Trevino Morales was extradited to the US last year along with his brother, Omar, and 27 other members.
- Ramos is described by authorities as a paid operative who spreads disinformation disguised as human rights advocacy. While Ramos previously claimed his 2020 phone compromise via Pegasus spyware proved a government conspiracy against him, the US maintains he is a cartel associate.
In addition to these three, the US previously sanctioned Mexican rapper Ricardo Hernandez Medrano (known as El Makabelico) in August for his suspected financial ties to the organization.
