The U.S. Treasury Department targeted two casinos and three people for sanctions because of alleged ties to Cartel del Noreste (CDN), a Mexican drug trafficking syndicate the Trump administration has designated as a terrorist organization.
Among the individuals targeted was Raymundo Ramos, president of the Committee for Human Rights of Nuevo Laredo. The federal government accused Ramos of leading the CDN disinformation campaign against Mexican authorities while posing as a "human rights" activist.
"Under the guise of human rights activism, Ramos solely advocates for violent cartel members by filing false complaints against the Mexican military, paying individuals to attend protests, and protecting the reputations of fallen or arrested CDN members," the Treasury department stated.
Mexico News Daily reported that Ramos has in the past denied any links to the cartel.
The action by the Treasury Department is the result of a coordinated operation that involved the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) Laredo District Office and San Antonio Division Offices. The move essentially freezes any U.S. assets of those sanctioned and prevents others from doing business with them.
The administration also accused Casino Centenario, a Nuevo Laredo-based casino, and Diamante Casino, which has a location in Tampico, Tamaulipas, of essentially being money-laundering fronts for the cartel.
"Treasury will use all tools to protect our nation from violent cartels looking to reign terror on innocent Americans," said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. "Treasury will continue to target the diverse revenue streams that cartels rely on to sustain their operations, which include trafficking fentanyl and illegal aliens into the United States."
According to the federal government, Casino Centenario was used by CDN to stash fentanyl pills and cocaine, as well as to launder illicit proceeds through gaming operations. Federal authorities also allege that the casino itself was used as a base to dole out physical punishment to cartel enemies.
"CDN also uses the backrooms of Casino Centenario to torture and intimidate alleged enemies of the cartel. Many CDN members also frequent Casino Centenario," the Treasury department stated.
Also cited by the Treasury Department was Eduardo Javier Islas Valdez, also known as "Crosty." Federal authorities assert that he is in charge of CDN human smuggling operations in Nuevo Laredo.
The third individual sanctioned was Juan Pablo Penilla Rodriguez, a defense attorney. The statement from Treasury accuses Penilla of helping Miguel Trevino maintain leadership while in Mexican prison by acting as his intermediary.
