The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) within the U.S. Department of the Treasury has imposed sanctions on several members of the Mexican criminal organization Cartel del Noreste (CDN), formerly known as Los Zetas.
CDN is a violent criminal group primarily operating in the Mexican states of Tamaulipas, Coahuila, and Nuevo Leon. For many years, CDN has been involved in the illegal trade of drugs, including fentanyl, crystal methamphetamine, heroin, marijuana, and cocaine, as well as other illicit substances.
Additionally, they use commercial passenger buses to smuggle drugs into the United States and engage in human trafficking, often kidnapping migrants and exploiting them for extortion or forced labor.
OFAC has designated three senior members and one prominent associate of CDN:
- Abdon Federico Rodriguez Garcia, also known as “Cucho,” is the second-in-command of CDN. Rodríguez is involved in drug trafficking, money laundering, fuel theft, and extortion on behalf of the organization.
- Francisco Daniel Esqueda Nieto, who took over the tactical operations of CDN in Nuevo Laredo after the arrest of CDN’s leader Gonzalez in 2025.
- Antonio Romero Sánchez, a prominent member of CDN, has been leading operations in Piedras Negras and Ciudad Victoria on behalf of the organization. Romero, also known as Romeo, was a former police officer in Tamaulipas and a wanted fugitive.
- Ricardo Hernández Medrano, better known as “El Makabelico” or “Comando Exclusivo”, is a member of CDN and a well-known drug-related artist.
