Latest news with #RicardoGonzalezSauceda
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Treasury Department sanctions Mexican drug trafficking group members
The Treasury Department has sanctioned two high-ranking members of the Mexican drug trafficking group Cartel del Noreste (CDN), a transnational group formerly known as Los Zetas. The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed the sanctions Wednesday on the two members of CDN, which is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States government. The U.S. has sanctioned Miguel Angel de Anda Ledezma, who officials say resides in the border city Nuevo Laredo across the Rio Grande from Texas. The Treasury Department said he oversees the procurement of ammunition and guns for CDN, and is in charge of payments to straw purchasers and facilitators in the U.S. OFAC also slapped sanctions on Ricardo Gonzalez Sauceda, who officials said also lives in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas. He was the second-in-command of CDN before he was arrested by Mexican law enforcement in February, according to the Treasury Department. Gonzalez was chief of an armed enforcement wing of the cartel, benefiting from trafficked firearms used in attacks on the Mexican military and police, the Treasury Department said. 'In working toward the total elimination of cartels to Make America Safe Again, the Trump Administration will hold these terrorists accountable for their criminal activities and abhorrent acts of violence,' Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement. 'CDN and its leaders have carried out a violent campaign of intimidation, kidnapping, and terrorism, threatening communities on both sides of our southern border,' Bessent added. 'We will continue to cut off the cartels' ability to obtain the drugs, money, and guns that enable their violent activities.' CDN was one of eight cartels and transnational organizations the Trump administration designated as terrorist groups earlier this year, along with other organizations the federal government has targeted such as Tren de Aragua (TdA) and MS-13. The State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said Wednesday that CDN 'uses violence to exert its criminal control and intimidate border communities and U.S. citizens, particularly in northeastern Mexico.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Fox News
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Violent Mexican drug gang's high ranking members sanctioned by Trump
The Trump administration sanctioned two high-ranking members of the Cartel del Noreste Wednesday — one of the most violent drug-trafficking organizations in Mexico and a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization, Fox News Digital has learned. The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned the two leaders of the organizations, formerly known as Los Zetas. Officials said the gang exerts "significant influence over the border region," especially near the Laredo, Texas point of entry. The first individual sanctioned was Miguel Angel de Anda Ledzema, a high-ranking member of Cartel del Noreste who oversees the procurement of guns and ammunition for the group. According to the Treasury Department, he has overseen payments to facilitators and straw purchasers in the United States and organized the delivery of firearms to Nuevo Laredo, Mexico — straw purchasers who made false representations to secure firearms from American businesses, who officials say "fell victim to the cartel's lies." The Treasury Department said that one of the weapons purchased in this arms trafficking conspiracy was recovered after Cartel del Noreste attacked Mexico's army during a patrol in March 2024. The second individual sanctioned was Ricardo Gonzalez Sauceda, who was known as the second-in-command of Cartel del Noreste before his February arrest by Mexican authorities. The Treasury Department said he led an armed enforcement wing of the organization. He had been arrested in connection with attacks on the Mexican military and Mexican police. At the time of his arrest, he was in possession of a rifle, a handgun, 300 grams of methamphetamine and a package of 1,500 fentanyl pills. Officials said the new sanctions underscore the Trump administration's commitment to targeting Cartel del Noreste and other violent cartels involved in drug trafficking, human trafficking, arms trafficking and other heinous crimes endangering the American people. "In working toward the total elimination of cartels to Make America Safe Again, the Trump Administration will hold these terrorists accountable for their criminal activities and abhorrent acts of violence," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Wednesday. Cartel del Noreste "and its leaders have carried out a violent campaign of intimidation, kidnapping, and terrorism, threatening communities on both sides of our southern border." Bessent added, "We will continue to cut off the cartels' ability to obtain the drugs, money, and guns that enable their violent activities." The new sanctions were imposed in coordination with Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Officials said the action was also closely coordinated with Mexico's Financial Intelligence Unit. President of the National Border Patrol Council Paul Perez told Fox News Digital that President Donald Trump's actions against cartels "fulfills the promise that he made when he stated time and time again that he would not allow the cartels to operate with impunity on our borders or within the interior of the United States." "These actions deal a significant blow and serves to send the message to all cartels, as well as to those who wish to do harm to Americans, that President Trump will not just talk about it, he will follow through," Perez said. "The amount of drugs, weapons and other contraband, to include the smuggling and trafficking of persons into and throughout the United States, created chaos and terror that the actions of the Trump administration is bringing to an end." "We fully and without hesitation support the actions taken by President Trump and his administration to take on the cartels," Perez added. The actions come after Trump directed cartels to be designated as foreign terrorist organizations. In April, the Justice Department hit a high-ranking member of Tren de Aragua on terrorism and international drug distribution charges — the first time the U.S. government has used terrorism charges to prosecute a member of the violent gang.
21-05-2025
- Politics
US sanctions two members of a Mexican drug trafficking group known as the Northeast Cartel
WASHINGTON -- The United States imposed sanctions Wednesday on two members of the Mexican drug trafficking organization Cartel del Noreste, the Northeast Cartel, which was formerly known as Los Zetas. The Treasury Department is targeting Miguel Angel de Anda Ledezma, who allegedly oversees the procurement of guns and ammunition for the cartel, and Ricardo Gonzalez Sauceda, who was the second-in-command of the group before his February 2025 arrest by Mexican officials. Earlier this year, President Donald Trump's administration designated Cartel del Noreste as a 'foreign terrorist organization,' along with seven other groups. The Republican president has made securing the U.S.-Mexico border among his top priorities. He has pledged to carry out mass deportations, send active-duty troops to the border and reach deals with some countries to take in more migrants. The Northeast Cartel is a remnant of the Zetas. Zetas were comprised of former Mexican military officers and began as an armed militaristic wing of the Gulf Cartel that eventually split and became its own trafficking organization. The Northeast cartel has retained a relatively small portion of what the Zetas once ruled. Its base is Nuevo Laredo, the busiest commercial port on the U.S.-Mexico border. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement that the administration will hold the cartels "accountable for their criminal activities and abhorrent acts of violence.' 'We will continue to cut off the cartels' ability to obtain the drugs, money, and guns that enable their violent activities,' Bessent said. In March a group of Mexican nationals and former leaders of the Los Zetas were arraigned in Washington on charges that included engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise that involved several murder conspiracies, conspiring to manufacture and distribute large quantities of cocaine and marijuana destined for the U.S.
Toronto Star
21-05-2025
- Toronto Star
US sanctions two members of a Mexican drug trafficking group known as the Northeast Cartel
WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States imposed sanctions Wednesday on two members of the Mexican drug trafficking organization Cartel del Noreste, the Northeast Cartel, which was formerly known as Los Zetas. The Treasury Department is targeting Miguel Angel de Anda Ledezma, who allegedly oversees the procurement of guns and ammunition for the cartel, and Ricardo Gonzalez Sauceda, who was the second-in-command of the group before his February 2025 arrest by Mexican officials.
San Francisco Chronicle
21-05-2025
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
US sanctions two members of a Mexican drug trafficking group known as the Northeast Cartel
WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States imposed sanctions Wednesday on two members of the Mexican drug trafficking organization Cartel del Noreste, the Northeast Cartel, which was formerly known as Los Zetas. The Treasury Department is targeting Miguel Angel de Anda Ledezma, who allegedly oversees the procurement of guns and ammunition for the cartel, and Ricardo Gonzalez Sauceda, who was the second-in-command of the group before his February 2025 arrest by Mexican officials. Earlier this year, President Donald Trump's administration designated Cartel del Noreste as a 'foreign terrorist organization,' along with seven other groups. The Republican president has made securing the U.S.-Mexico border among his top priorities. He has pledged to carry out mass deportations, send active-duty troops to the border and reach deals with some countries to take in more migrants. The Northeast Cartel is a remnant of the Zetas. Zetas were comprised of former Mexican military officers and began as an armed militaristic wing of the Gulf Cartel that eventually split and became its own trafficking organization. The Northeast cartel has retained a relatively small portion of what the Zetas once ruled. Its base is Nuevo Laredo, the busiest commercial port on the U.S.-Mexico border. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement that the administration will hold the cartels "accountable for their criminal activities and abhorrent acts of violence.' 'We will continue to cut off the cartels' ability to obtain the drugs, money, and guns that enable their violent activities,' Bessent said. In March a group of Mexican nationals and former leaders of the Los Zetas were arraigned in Washington on charges that included engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise that involved several murder conspiracies, conspiring to manufacture and distribute large quantities of cocaine and marijuana destined for the U.S.
