Federal authorities on Tuesday moved to cut off what they describe as a cartel cash machine just across the South Texas line, sanctioning two Mexican casinos they say doubled as stash houses and money laundries for Cartel del Noreste. The U.S. Treasury targeted Casino Centenario in Nuevo Laredo and Diamante Casino in Tampico, along with their operator and several alleged facilitators, following a Homeland Security Task Force investigation that drew in the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Laredo and San Antonio offices.
What the Treasury announced
According to the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, officials added Casino Centenario, Diamante Casino and their operator, Comercializadora y Arrendadora de México (CAMSA), to the Specially Designated Nationals list and also designated three people tied to Cartel del Noreste. One of the casinos sits roughly two miles from the U.S. border. Treasury said the move relies on executive orders that target the international flow of illicit drugs and support for terrorism, and described the action as part of a coordinated Homeland Security Task Force push to disrupt the cartel’s border revenue streams.
How the casinos were allegedly used
OFAC alleges that Casino Centenario “is utilized by CDN as a stash house for fentanyl pills and cocaine, as well as a vehicle to launder illicit proceeds and integrate them into the legitimate financial system through its gaming operations.” The agency also says cartel members have used back rooms at the casino to torture and intimidate alleged rivals. The designations identify Eduardo Javier Islas Valdez, also known as “Crosty,” attorney Juan Pablo Penilla Rodríguez, and Jesús Reymundo Ramos Vázquez as individuals tied to CAMSA and Cartel del Noreste, according to OFAC.
Federal partners and local reaction
The DEA’s Houston office flagged the sanctions in a post on X, highlighting the work of the Laredo and San Antonio DEA offices in the underlying investigation and sharing a short thread that breaks down the designations. DEAHouston also attached a transcript and links to the federal statements that explain the move. On the ground in Laredo, Mayor Dr. Victor Trevino said city leaders had been briefed and would work with federal agencies as the enforcement push continues, according to reporting by KGNS.
Sanctions explained
The designations immediately freeze any property and interests in property of the listed entities and individuals that are in the United States or in the hands of U.S. persons, and they generally bar transactions involving those assets, as reported by The Associated Press. Federal notices and local coverage also note that OFAC issued a narrow general license that gives U.S. persons limited time to wind down dealings with CAMSA, Casino Centenario and Diamante Casino while companies and banks bring their operations into compliance with the new restrictions.
Why this matters for the border
Officials say the move fits into a broader U.S. playbook that treats major cartels as national security threats. Cartel del Noreste was designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization in February 2025, a determination recorded in the Federal Register that underpins the tougher sanctions tools now in use. That status gives regulators added leverage to target how cartels move cash, weapons and people through key border plazas such as Nuevo Laredo.
For regional trade and financial institutions involved in cross border business, the new listings mean higher compliance stakes and closer scrutiny of payments and shipments tied to the busiest inland port of entry. Investigations and interagency enforcement are ongoing, and officials say the goal is to squeeze the cartel’s revenue while minimizing spillover for legitimate commerce. Banks, payment providers and downstream vendors with any connection to the named businesses or individuals can expect more monitoring and more questions from regulators and law enforcement partners.
