U.S. Sanctions Two Casinos and Three Individuals Linked to Mexico's Cartel del Noreste

U.S. Treasury Department issued sanctions on Tuesday against three individuals and two casinos for their alleged links to Mexico's Cartel del Noreste. The cartel was designated as a terrorist organization last year.

-Mexico border. The Cartel del Noreste is described as a successor to the former Zetas group. U.S. authorities have accused it of trafficking drugs, weapons, and people, as well as engaging in extortion and violent activities.

Washington has increased efforts to target the organization in recent years.

the sanctioned casinos is Casino Centenario, located in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas.

U.S. authorities stated that it serves as a drug storage hub and facilitates money laundering through gambling operations. The other casino, Diamante Casino, is headquartered in Tampico, also in Tamaulipas, and operates an online betting site.

The sanctions target individuals described as enablers of the cartel. One is identified as the gatekeeper of the cartel's human smuggling routes into Texas. Another is an attorney cited for providing support to cartel leaders.

A third is an activist identified as a paid operative who spreads cartel disinformation under the guise of human rights advocacy. The activist did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In March 2023, the activist alleged that the Mexican army and government orchestrated accusations of cartel links, which were denied.

An independent investigation later confirmed that the activist's phone had been compromised by Pegasus spyware in 2020.

U.S. authorities reported that the attorney assisted a leader of Los Zetas, an organization connected to the Cartel del Noreste. U.S. last year along with the leader's brother and 27 other individuals. The extraditions followed ongoing efforts to dismantle the group's operations.