Pres. Donald Trump’s administration sanctioned star narco-rapper El Makabelico, who’s associated with Cartel del Noreste (CDN), along with high-ranking leaders from the foreign terrorist organization.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned three high-ranking members and one prominent associate of the Mexico-based Cartel del Noreste, formerly known as Los Zetas.
Abdon Federico Rodriguez Garcia is the second-in-command of CDN. Antonio Romero Sanchez is a high-ranking member of CDN Francisco Daniel Esqueda Nieto, Ricardo Hernandez Medrano, known by his stage names El Makabelico or Comando Exclusivo.
CDN, one of the most violent drug trafficking organizations in Mexico, is a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization that exerts significant influence over the U.S.-Mexico border, specifically the Laredo, Texas, point of entry.
CDN’s influence in the Mexican border cities of Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas and Piedras Negras, Coahuila, has affected communities on both sides of the border, and the cartel’s role in fentanyl trafficking and human smuggling into the United States.
The Treasury Department alleges that the rapper uses his concerts to launder money for the cartel.
Cartel del Noreste also profits directly from El Makabelico's presence on streaming platforms, with 50% of all royalties sent to the major Mexico-based cartel.
The government says that the designated individuals have aided CDN’s horrific crimes, including assassinations, beheadings, drug trafficking, extortion, and money laundering.
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“Under President Trump, the Treasury Department will continue to be relentless in its effort to put America First by targeting terrorist drug cartels. These cartels poison Americans with fentanyl and conduct human smuggling operations along our southwest border,” Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent said in a statement. “Treasury, in close coordination with our law enforcement partners, is committed to a full-frontal assault on the cartels, targeting the leadership and revenue streams that enable their horrific crimes.”
The action targets key individuals that enable Cartel del Noreste’s campaign of violence and narco-terrorism, and was coordinated with Homeland Security Investigations San Antonio and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The action follows Trump targeting illicit drug trafficking and illegal immigration.
On May 21, 2025, OFAC designated two high-ranking members and arms traffickers of CDN, Miguel Angel de Anda Ledezma and Ricardo Gonzalez Sauceda.
The CDN, previously known as Los Zetas, was identified by the United States as a specially designated foreign narcotics trafficker in 2009.
For decades, CDN has been involved in the trafficking of narcotics and other illicit drugs, including fentanyl, crystal methamphetamine, heroin, marijuana, and cocaine. CDN is also engaged in human trafficking, extortion, arms trafficking, and kidnapping for ransom.
CDN is known for operating on both sides of the U.S. border. In June 2025, the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested 72 undocumented immigrants and seized cash, narcotics, and firearms at a CDN-run nightclub during an operation in South Carolina.
This unlicensed establishment was involved in drug, weapons, and human trafficking operations. In addition, CDN utilizes commercial passenger buses to smuggle drugs into the United States. The organization is involved in large-scale human smuggling operations into the United States, often kidnapping and exploiting migrants for the purpose of extortion or forced labor. CDN utilizes drug distribution hubs throughout the state of Texas and has associates, facilitators, and affiliates throughout Texas, Oklahoma, Georgia, and the Midwest.
Editor’s Note: Thanks to President Trump, illegal immigration into our great country has virtually stopped. Despite the radical left's lies, new legislation wasn't needed to secure our border, just a new president.
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