US sanctions Cartel del Noreste casino network in Mexico
The U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control added three individuals and three entities tied to Cartel del Noreste to its sanctions list on April 14, 2026. The agency also issued a related counterterrorism general license and updated Russia-related licenses and guidance the same day.
WASHINGTON, April 14, 2026 — The U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control updated its Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List to add three individuals and three entities linked to Cartel del Noreste, including two casinos in Tamaulipas, Mexico, and a related commercial entity.
The newly listed individuals are Eduardo Javier Islas Valdez, Juan Pablo Penilla Rodriguez and Jesus Reymundo Ramos Vazquez. All three entries carry the tags SDGT and ILLICIT-DRUGS-EO14059 and identify the men as linked to Cartel del Noreste.
The entities added are Casino Centenario in Nuevo Laredo, Comercializadora y Arrendadora de Mexico, S.A. de C.V. in Ciudad Madero, and Diamante Casino in Tampico. OFAC's annex links Casino Centenario directly to Cartel del Noreste, the commercial entity to Casino Centenario, and Diamante Casino to that commercial entity.
Separately, OFAC issued Counter Terrorism General License 35, authorizing the wind down of transactions involving entities blocked on April 14, 2026. It also issued Russia-related General License 128C on certain transactions involving Lukoil retail service stations outside Russia, Russia-related General License 130A on certain transactions involving certain Lukoil entities in Bulgaria, and amended Russia-related FAQ 1225.
Regulatory Actions
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