The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned six people on April 14 linked to a money laundering and cash smuggling network operated by the Northeast Cartel. Among those sanctioned is lawyer Juan Pablo Penilla Rodríguez, connected to Miguel Ángel “Z-40” Treviño Morales. Two casinos used for illicit activities in Tamaulipas were also targeted.
The U.S. Treasury Department announced sanctions against six individuals associated with the Northeast Cartel (CDN), a criminal group with a strong presence in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, near Laredo, Texas. The measures aim to dismantle its money laundering and cash smuggling financial network.
Juan Pablo Penilla Rodríguez, lawyer for Miguel Ángel “Z-40” Treviño Morales, former leader of Los Zetas, was sanctioned for acting as an intermediary between Treviño Morales—who is imprisoned in Mexico—and the current CDN leadership. According to OFAC, Penilla provided illegal services to the cartel despite existing sanctions on his client, allowing him to retain influence from jail.
Among the sanctioned entities are two casinos: Casino Centenario in Nuevo Laredo, operated by Comercializadora y Arrendadora de México (CAMSA), and Diamante Casino in Tampico, Tamaulipas. Casino Centenario was used as a drug storage site for fentanyl and cocaine, and to launder illicit gains through gambling. It was also a site for intimidation and torture of cartel rivals.
The sanctions are based on Executive Orders 14059 and 13224, which target supporters of criminal organizations. “The Treasury Department will use all resources at its disposal to protect our nation from violent cartels,” stated Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
