The U.S. Treasury Department has imposed sanctions on two leaders of the Northeast Cartel—formerly Los Zetas—after its designation as a terrorist organization under the Trump administration.
The U.S. Treasury Department announced today that it has imposed targeted sanctions on two top figures of the Northeast Cartel—once operating under the name Los Zetas and now officially designated as a terrorist organization by the administration of former President Donald Trump. In a formal statement, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent underscored the group’s “atrocious crimes” and its deepening influence along the U.S.–Mexico border, particularly at the Laredo crossing.
According to the Treasury statement, the action freezes any assets the designated individuals may hold under U.S. jurisdiction and bars American persons from engaging in transactions with them. “These sanctions demonstrate our commitment to confronting the actions of the cartel and other criminal groups that endanger the lives of the American people,” the department declared.
Secretary Bessent emphasized the gravity of the designation, noting that the Northeast Cartel has “been carrying out a violent campaign of intimidation, terrorism, and threats against communities on both sides of the common border.” He warned that the group “poses a significant influence” at major transit points, amplifying the risks of drug trafficking, money laundering, and arms smuggling into the United States.
“I am working to fully eliminate the cartels so we can Make America Great Again,” Bessent said, invoking the administration’s broader countercartel campaign. “The Trump Administration will bring these terrorists to justice so they can pay for their criminal acts and horrendous, violent activities.”
The sanctions target Miguel Ángel de Anda Ledezma, a senior operative responsible for orchestrating the cartel’s weapons acquisitions, and Ricardo González Sauceda, who served as second-in-command until his arrest by Mexican authorities in February. De Anda Ledezma is accused of coordinating clandestine arms purchases across the region, deploying sophisticated logistics networks to source high-powered rifles and ammunition from abroad. González Sauceda, captured in a joint operation, is alleged to have overseen much of the cartel’s enforcement wing, directing violent reprisals against rival organizations and uncooperative civilians.
By placing these individuals on the Treasury’s Specially Designated Nationals list, the U.S. government aims to disrupt the cartel’s financial lifelines and curtail its ability to import weapons. Experts on transnational crime note that sanctions can complicate a cartel’s access to international banking channels and discourage third parties from facilitating illicit transactions for fear of secondary penalties.
Analysts also point out that naming the organization as a terrorist entity sends a strong political message. “Designating a drug trafficking organization as a terrorist group elevates its status from purely criminal to one threatening national security,” says Maria Castillo, a specialist in Latin American security issues. “This opens the door for additional tools—such as intelligence sharing and military cooperation—that go beyond standard law enforcement measures.”
The Northeast Cartel’s evolution from a splinter of Los Zetas into a formidable network has been marked by ruthless tactics and diversification into human trafficking and extortion. Originally formed by defectors from the Mexican military, Los Zetas gained notoriety in the early 2000s for pioneering brutal enforcement methods. After successive crackdowns weakened its core leadership, the group rebranded as the Northeast Cartel, consolidating control over key border corridors.
The Laredo crossing, one of the busiest commercial ports on the U.S.–Mexico border, is especially vulnerable. Authorities estimate that hundreds of thousands of vehicles pass through daily, carrying everything from consumer goods to agricultural exports. The Treasury statement warns that the cartel leverages this volume to mask drug shipments and launder proceeds through front companies involved in cross-border trade.
Mexican federal officials have welcomed the U.S. sanctions as a complementary measure to their own countercartel operations. A spokesperson for Mexico’s Interior Ministry called the move “an important step in the international effort to dismantle criminal networks that threaten security and stability on both sides of the border.” Mexican law enforcement agencies have partnered with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control in joint investigations targeting the cartel’s financial and logistical structures.
Critics, however, caution that sanctions alone are insufficient. “Cartels adapt quickly, finding new routes and methods to move drugs and weapons,” notes Alejandro Pérez of the Washington Office on Latin America. He advocates for sustained investment in community policing and economic development initiatives in border regions, arguing that long-term security hinges on addressing the social conditions that enable cartel recruitment.
The White House National Security Council has indicated that further designations and asset freezes may be forthcoming, as part of an ongoing strategy to choke off the cartels’ resources. Meanwhile, law enforcement across the region remains on heightened alert for retaliatory violence, which often surges in the wake of high-profile arrests or sanctions.
For residents of Laredo and neighboring Nuevo Laredo, the Treasury’s announcement is a reminder of the enduring threat posed by well-financed criminal organizations. Community leaders report increased patrols and intelligence cooperation, but also express concern that deeper entrenchment of cartels in local economies can outlast any single enforcement action.
As Secretary Bessent concluded in his statement, “We will continue to curtail the cartels’ ability to obtain drugs, money, and weapons to carry out their violent acts.” The sanctions mark a significant escalation in the U.S. government’s toolkit against one of the most violent and adaptable criminal groups in the hemisphere. Whether they will prove sufficient to weaken the Northeast Cartel remains to be seen—but they represent a clear signal that U.S. policymakers view the cartel not simply as a drug trafficking network, but as a terrorist threat warranting the full weight of Treasury and national security resources.
