Cracking Down on Cartel Violence at the Border
On May 21, the U.S. government announced sanctions against two high-ranking members of the Mexico-based Cártel del Noreste (CDN), a violent transnational criminal organization formerly known as Los Zetas. The sanctioned individuals, Miguel Ángel de Anda Ledezma, alias De Anda, and Ricardo González Sauceda, known as 'El Ricky,' are accused of orchestrating drug trafficking, arms trafficking, and other heinous crimes that impact safety along the U.S.-Mexico border, particularly near the Laredo/Nuevo Laredo entry point. The Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) spearheaded this action as part of a broader effort to disrupt CDN's operations.
CDN has been designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist group by the U.S. government due to its involvement in a range of criminal activities, including kidnapping, extortion, migrant smuggling, and deadly violence. The cartel's history of aggression includes a 2022 attack on the U.S. Consulate in Nuevo Laredo with grenades and gunfire, following the arrest of one of its members. This latest move by the Treasury Department underscores a commitment to targeting cartels that threaten American lives and regional stability.
Key Figures and Their Criminal Roles
Miguel Ángel de Anda Ledezma, based in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, is identified as a key figure overseeing the procurement of guns and ammunition for CDN. His role involves managing payments to facilitators and straw purchasers in the United States to acquire firearms, which are then smuggled into Nuevo Laredo. Some of these weapons have been linked to terrorist activities, with one firearm recovered after a CDN attack on Mexico's army, Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional (SEDENA), during a patrol in March 2024.
Ricardo González Sauceda, also residing in Nuevo Laredo, held the position of second-in-command within CDN prior to his arrest by Mexican authorities in February 2025. His leadership role included directing violent enforcement operations for the cartel. The sanctions against González Sauceda aim to further cripple the organization's operational capacity following his detention.
The Treasury Department emphasized the impact of these sanctions, stating through OFAC that they are part of an ongoing mission to dismantle violent cartels involved in drug trafficking, human trafficking, and arms smuggling. These actions freeze any U.S.-based assets of the sanctioned individuals and prohibit American citizens from engaging in transactions with them.
Broader Implications for Border Security
The sanctions on De Anda and González Sauceda are seen as a significant step in addressing the pervasive threat posed by CDN, described as one of the most violent drug trafficking organizations in Mexico. Their influence over the border region has long been a concern for U.S. authorities, given the cartel's ability to exploit vulnerabilities through arms trafficking schemes that involve deceiving American businesses via straw purchasers.
This latest action aligns with a renewed focus on border security and combating transnational crime under the current administration. Experts have described these sanctions as a 'full-frontal assault' on organized crime at the southern border, highlighting the importance of targeting high-ranking members to disrupt cartel networks. The hope is that such measures will reduce the flow of drugs and weapons that fuel violence on both sides of the border, protecting communities from the devastating effects of cartel activities.