US Sanctions Target Cartel del Noreste Financial Operations

The US Treasury Department sanctioned four individuals and 11 entities tied to the Cartel del Noreste (CDN) on Tuesday, targeting a business network spanning horse racing, construction, trucking, and energy sectors that Washington claims helped finance the cartel. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described this as the agency's largest action against CDN's financial machinery to date.

Designated individuals include Pablo Cesar Guajardo Alvarez, alias "Takia," the accused CDN plaza boss in Nuevo Laredo and former leader of the cartel's sicarios. New Laredo businessman Gamaliel Garza Garcia and his son were sanctioned alongside nine companies, such as a quarter-horse racing stable, construction firms, and fuel businesses that Treasury officials stated support CDN operations.