Overview

• The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned two high-ranking members of Cartel del Noreste (CDN), Miguel Ángel de Anda Ledezma and Ricardo González Sauceda, on May 21, 2025.
• These sanctions block their U.S.-based assets and cut off access to guns, money, and drugs under Executive Orders 14059 and 13224.
• De Anda Ledezma oversaw ammunition and firearms procurement for the cartel, while González Sauceda, arrested in February, led its armed enforcement wing.
• Cartel del Noreste, a remnant of Los Zetas, is designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and has been linked to violence, drug trafficking, and a 2022 grenade attack on the U.S. Consulate in Nuevo Laredo.
• The sanctions are part of the Trump administration's broader strategy to combat cartels by treating them as terrorist threats, with a focus on disrupting their financial and operational networks.