The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions Tuesday against four individuals and 11 entities tied to Cartel del Noreste (CDN), a Mexican criminal organization designated by the United States as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. The action targets the group’s use of quarter horse racing to launder proceeds from its criminal operations, along with ties to construction, trucking, and oil and gas businesses.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced the sanctions on social media platform X, describing the effort as a significant blow to the cartel’s finances.
Today’s action exposes Cartel del Noreste’s exploitation of the horse racing sector to launder illicit proceeds and finance cartel operations. This action marks Treasury’s most significant effort to date to disrupt Cartel del Noreste’s financial infrastructure. Treasury, in close coordination with our law enforcement partners, remains committed to protecting the U.S. financial system from misuse by violent cartels.
According to Treasury’s press release, the designated individuals and businesses span quarter horse racing operations alongside construction, trucking, and oil and gas interests, reflecting what officials describe as the cartel’s wide-ranging commercial activity inside the legitimate economy.
CDN is based in Mexico directly across from one of the busiest border crossings with the United States. It was founded by brothers Miguel Angel
