The US Treasury Department sanctioned six individuals linked to the Northeast Cartel, including Eduardo Javier Valdez Islas, alias ‘El Crosty’, for human smuggling and money laundering. The cartel operates mainly in Tamaulipas, Nuevo León, and Coahuila. The measures block their assets in US territory.
The US Treasury Department announced sanctions against a money laundering and cash smuggling network run by the Northeast Cartel (CDN). Among those sanctioned is Eduardo Javier Valdez Islas, known as ‘El Crosty’, in charge of human smuggling operations in Nuevo Laredo.
‘El Crosty’ oversees smugglers called 'pateros' and authorizes migrant transfers across the Rio Grande into Texas. He also serves as an intermediary in these operations and manages cash deposits in Nuevo Laredo, working closely with Abdon Federico Rodríguez García, the cartel’s second-in-command.
The Northeast Cartel, based in Nuevo Laredo, controls drug trafficking and human smuggling routes in the border region. Previously known as Los Zetas, it was designated a transnational criminal organization on July 24, 2011. It traffics fentanyl, methamphetamine, heroin, marijuana, and cocaine, while engaging in bribery and extortion.
The sanctions freeze all assets and property interests of the designated individuals in the United States, with potential civil or criminal penalties for those dealing with them.
