Key facts
- The US Treasury Department sanctioned four people and 11 entities tied to the Cartel del Noreste (CDN).
- Designated individuals include Pablo Cesar Guajardo Alvarez, accused CDN plaza boss in Nuevo Laredo.
- Nuevo Laredo businessman Gamaliel Garza Garcia and his son were sanctioned alongside nine companies.
- Club La Molienda, a horse racetrack, restaurant, and bar in Tamaulipas state, was targeted.
- Tamex, a Nuevo Laredo-based trucking company, was sanctioned after cocaine seizures.
- Treasury said cartel-linked front companies spent $16 million on US quarter-horse racing operations and laundered over $22 million between 2008 and 2012.
The US Treasury Department on Tuesday sanctioned four individuals and 11 entities tied to the Cartel del Noreste (CDN), targeting a business network that Washington says helped finance the Mexican criminal group. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described the action as the agency's largest to date against the cartel's financial machinery.
Among the sanctioned individuals is Pablo Cesar Guajardo Alvarez, identified as the CDN plaza boss in Nuevo Laredo and a former leader of the cartel's sicarios. Also sanctioned were Nuevo Laredo businessman Gamaliel Garza Garcia, involved in horse racing in both the US and Mexico, and his son. Nine companies, including a quarter-horse racing stable, construction firms, and fuel and gas businesses, were also targeted, with Treasury stating they operated in support of the cartel.
The action follows concerns raised by US officials about cartel-linked horse smuggling across the US-Mexico border. Club La Molienda, a horse racetrack, restaurant, and bar in Mexico's Tamaulipas state, was also targeted, which Treasury said is controlled by CDN and serves as a hub for its horse-racing activities.
Additionally, Tamex, a Nuevo Laredo-based trucking company, was sanctioned after authorities seized two cocaine shipments totaling 52 kg hidden in trailer brake drums linked to the firm. Treasury stated that cartel-linked front companies spent $16 million on US quarter-horse racing operations and laundered more than $22 million between 2008 and 2012, leading to the seizure of 455 horses.
The CDN was founded by brothers Miguel Angel and Oscar Omar Trevino Morales, who were transferred to the US in 2025 to face charges including drug trafficking, racketeering, and money laundering. The group is a successor to Los Zetas.