US Sanctions Two Casinos and Three Individuals for Ties to Mexico's Cartel del Noreste
The U.S. Treasury Department has imposed sanctions on two casinos and three individuals due to their alleged connections with Mexico’s Cartel del Noreste, a criminal organization designated as a terrorist group by the Trump administration. The sanctioned entities include Casino Centenario in Nuevo Laredo, accused of serving as a drug storage hub and money laundering facility, and Diamante Casino in Tampico, which operates an online betting platform. Among the individuals targeted are Eduardo Javier Islas Valdez, identified as a key facilitator of human smuggling routes into Texas; attorney Juan Pablo Penilla Rodríguez, who provided illicit legal support to cartel leaders; and activist Jesús Reymundo Ramos, whom authorities claim is a paid operative spreading cartel disinformation under the guise of human rights advocacy. These measures freeze any U.S.-based assets held by the targets and prohibit American citizens and businesses from engaging in transactions with them. This action represents part of Washington’s intensified crackdown on the Cartel del Noreste, known for its violent extortion, drug trafficking, and weapon smuggling operations along the U.S.-Mexico border.
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US Sanctions Two Casinos and Three Individuals for Ties to Mexico's Cartel del Noreste
The U.S. Treasury Department has imposed sanctions on two casinos and three individuals due to their alleged connections with Mexico’s Cartel del Noreste, a criminal organization designated as a terrorist group by the Trump administration. The sanctioned entities include Casino Centenario in Nuevo Laredo, accused of serving as a drug storage hub and money laundering facility, and Diamante Casino in Tampico, which operates an online betting platform. Among the individuals targeted are Eduardo Javier Islas Valdez, identified as a key facilitator of human smuggling routes into Texas; attorney Juan Pablo Penilla Rodríguez, who provided illicit legal support to cartel leaders; and activist Jesús Reymundo Ramos, whom authorities claim is a paid operative spreading cartel disinformation under the guise of human rights advocacy. These measures freeze any U.S.-based assets held by the targets and prohibit American citizens and businesses from engaging in transactions with them. This action represents part of Washington’s intensified crackdown on the Cartel del Noreste, known for its violent extortion, drug trafficking, and weapon smuggling operations along the U.S.-Mexico border.
AP News