US Government Claims Cartels Using Casinos in Mexico To Launder Money, Stash Fentanyl and Cocaine
Posted on: April 15, 2026, 12:11h.
Last updated on: April 15, 2026, 12:11h.
- The US Treasury says casinos in Mexico are assisting cartels
- Two casinos were identified as cartel-controlled enterprises
- The casinos are being used for money laundering and to store illegal narcotics
The United States government on Tuesday announced sanctions against two casinos in Mexico with alleged links to the Cartel del Noreste (CDN), a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization.
The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control has sanctioned six targets involved in a money laundering and cash smuggling outfit supposedly run by the CDN, the heir of the former Los Zetas. The sanctions include designating two casinos in Mexico as affiliates of the CDN.
Casino Centenario, located just two miles from the US border, has been labeled as a stash house for the cartel, where fentanyl pills and cocaine are stored. The casino has also been accused of being a vehicle for the CDN to wash dirty money.
The backroom of Casino Centenario is additionally alleged to be used to “torture and intimidate” enemies of the cartel, the Treasury’s release said.
The Diamante Casino, a smaller casino linked to the CDN cartel, has been designated by the Treasury as an online gambling outfit that’s used for money laundering purposes.
Casino Cartels
The US government is advising its citizens and residents not to enter Casino Centenario or Diamante Casino. The advisory said US people are “generally prohibited from conducting any transactions” at the casinos.
As President Trump has made clear, Treasury will use all tools to protect our nation from violent cartels looking to reign terror on innocent Americans,” said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. “Treasury will continue to target the diverse revenue streams that cartels rely on to sustain their operations, which include trafficking fentanyl and illegal aliens into the United States.”
Treasury identified the two casinos as materially assisting, sponsoring, and providing financial and technological support to the CDN.
The CDN is based in the border town of Nuevo Laredo, which is situated on the banks of the Rio Grande across from Laredo, Texas. The cartel’s main activities, the US government claims, are kidnapping, extortion, vehicle theft, human and drug trafficking, money laundering, and prostitution.
The CDN is considered one of the most violent criminal organizations in Mexico, with a reputation for extreme brutality.
Three Cartel Members Named
The US Treasury identified three individuals reportedly functioning as CDN cartel members. The designation names them as playing central roles in advancing the CDN’s criminal dominance in Tamaulipas and supporting the cartel’s broader illicit operations, including the trafficking of fentanyl and humans.
Eduardo Javier Islas Valdez, aka “Crosty,” Juan Pablo Penilla Rodriguez, and Jesus Raymundo Ramos Vazquez are now known as high-ranking cartel individuals.
Treasury claims Crosty leads the cartel’s human smuggling operation, with Rodriguez his second-in-command. Ramos reportedly leads the CDN’s disinformation campaign against Mexican authorities, a quasi-lobbyist who claims the cartel is an upstanding enterprise.
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