MEXICO · SECURITY
Key Facts
- —What is happening On Tuesday, 13 October, the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned four people and eleven companies it ties to the finances of Mexico’s Cartel del Noreste, working with Mexico’s Financial Intelligence Unit, Treasury said.
- —Why it matters Treasury called it its fourth and largest action against the cartel’s networks under President Trump, part of a campaign to choke the money of a group Washington designated a foreign terrorist organisation in February 2025.
- —The numbers Treasury says nearly 40 percent of all commercial traffic between the US and Mexico crosses at Laredo, OFAC has taken nearly 40 actions against over 500 targets since early 2025, and Zetas fronts once laundered upwards of US$22 million through US horse racing.
- —Who is who OFAC is the Treasury agency that runs US sanctions, the Cartel del Noreste grew out of the former Zetas around Nuevo Laredo, and those named include businessman Gamaliel Garza Garcia, his firm CEGESA and the racetrack Club La Molienda.
- —What to watch Treasury has not given the value of frozen assets or said whether arrests or charges will follow; those named can petition OFAC for removal, and Washington is likely to announce further cartel designations.
- —What it means for you Americans may not do business with anyone on the list, so banks, exporters and logistics firms tied to northern Mexico, especially near the Texas border, must screen partners against it or risk heavy fines.
Washington has opened a new financial front against one of Mexico’s most violent cartels. The move freezes US assets of a business network and bars Americans from dealing with it.
The United States has sanctioned a web of companies and people it ties to a Mexican cartel. The step, announced on Tuesday, 13 October, targets the finances behind the Cartel del Noreste.
For US investors and banks, the designation makes any dealing with those firms a legal risk. It is the latest US move to choke cartel money after Washington branded the group a terrorist organisation.
Who Was Sanctioned
The US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, the agency that runs sanctions, named four individuals and eleven companies. Treasury said those named are active in quarter horse racing, construction, trucking, and oil and gas.
Mexico’s Finance Ministry, cited by La Jornada, described shell firms and payments that did not match their stated profiles. It said the structure could be used to move illicit funds across legitimate businesses.
The list includes Club La Molienda, a Nuevo Laredo racetrack the cartel controls, and businessman Gamaliel Garza Garcia, Treasury says. Treasury recalled that Zetas fronts laundered upwards of US$22 million through US quarter horse racing before a 2012 crackdown.
A Joint Move With Mexico
Treasury said OFAC coordinated this and earlier actions against the cartel with Mexico’s Financial Intelligence Unit, the body that tracks suspicious money. It called the step its fourth and largest against the cartel’s networks under President Trump.
President Claudia Sheinbaum has promoted security cooperation with Washington while rejecting any US action on Mexican soil. In April, Mexican authorities suspended a cartel-linked casino on the same day OFAC sanctioned it, Treasury said.
The Cartel del Noreste grew out of the former Zetas and operates around Nuevo Laredo, across from Texas. Treasury says nearly 40 percent of all commercial traffic between the two countries crosses at Laredo.
Why Washington Is Targeting Cartel Finances
The United States designated the Cartel del Noreste a foreign terrorist organisation in February 2025, alongside other Mexican groups. That label lets Washington use counterterrorism tools, including sanctions, against the cartel and anyone who helps it.
Sanctions freeze any US assets of those named and bar Americans from doing business with them. Foreign banks that handle their money can also face penalties under US rules.
Treasury says OFAC has taken nearly 40 actions against over 500 people and entities tied to criminal groups since early 2025. Each action aims at the money, property and companies that let the groups operate.
How The Network Was Structured
Treasury alleges that Garza Garcia’s firm CEGESA won public contracts from Nuevo Laredo and Tamaulipas and subcontracted the work to cartel-linked people. It says the company also funnelled money to election campaigns of the cartel’s preferred candidates.
Mexico’s Finance Ministry said the pattern pointed to laundering through otherwise legal companies. The sanctions aim to cut those firms off from the US financial system.
What It Means for US Readers
US companies with ties to northern Mexico must now screen partners against the new sanctions list. A missed match can bring heavy fines, so trade and logistics firms will review their contracts.
The action also signals that Washington will keep using financial tools, not just security raids, against cartels. For investors, it is a reminder that cross-border supply chains carry compliance risk.
Banks and payment firms will update their screening systems to flag the newly listed names. Exporters near the Texas border face the most exposure given the cartel’s base there.
What Is Not Known
Treasury has not given a figure for the value of any assets now frozen. It also did not say how much money the current network is thought to have moved.
It is also unclear whether any arrests or criminal charges accompany the financial sanctions. Neither government has said whether any of those named are in the United States.
What Comes Next
Those on the list can petition OFAC to remove them under a process Treasury publishes. Washington is likely to announce further cartel designations as its financial campaign continues.
A designation does not by itself prove criminal guilt in a US court. It is an administrative step that each named party can challenge.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is OFAC?
OFAC is the Office of Foreign Assets Control, the US Treasury unit that enforces sanctions. It can freeze US assets and block Americans from dealing with listed targets.
Who is the Cartel del Noreste?
The Cartel del Noreste is a Mexican criminal group that grew out of the former Zetas. It is based around Nuevo Laredo on the border with Texas.
What did the US Treasury do?
It sanctioned four people and eleven companies that it links to the cartel’s finances. The firms span construction, transport, oil and gas, and horse racing.
Why does this matter for Americans?
US people and companies may not do business with anyone on the list. Breaking that rule can bring large fines under US sanctions law.
Was the cartel labelled a terrorist group?
Yes, Washington designated the Cartel del Noreste a foreign terrorist organisation in 2025. That status lets it use counterterrorism tools against the group’s money.
Sources: US Department of the Treasury; La Jornada; OFAC Recent Actions (all accessed 13 October 2026).