The U.S. has sanctioned two high-ranking members of the Mexico-based Cartel del Noreste, according to the Department of the Treasury.

U.S.-based property of Miguel Angel de Anda Ledezma, who allegedly oversaw the procurement of guns and ammunition for the cartel, and Ricardo Gonzalez Sauceda, the alleged former second-in-command of the group, is blocked, the treasury said. Any entities that are at least half-owned by the either of the men are also blocked, according to the agency.

“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 news release on Wednesday.

The U.S. Department of State designated Cartel del Noreste a foreign terrorist organization in February, alleging it uses violence to exert control. The group is involved in drug trafficking, kidnapping, extortion, human smuggling and other illegal activities, the department said. De Anda has allegedly overseen payments to facilitators and straw purchasers and organized the delivery of guns to Nuevo Laredo, a Mexican city on the southwestern border of Texas. The treasury said some of the weapons have been used in terrorist activity.

Gonzalez was allegedly second-in-command of the cartel before his arrest by Mexican authorities in February, according to the treasury. He led an armed enforcement wing of Cartel del Noreste and benefited from guns trafficked to him for illegal activities.

“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 said. “We will continue to cut off the cartels’ ability to obtain the drugs, money and guns that enable their violent activities.”

The Mexican authorities arrested Gonzalez in connection with an attack on the country’s military. The authorities indicated he was in possession of a rifle, a handgun, 300 grams of meth and 1,500 fentanyl pills at the time of his arrest, according to the treasury.

Less than six months earlier, the department said, Cartel del Noreste killed two Mexican soldiers and injured five. The group also attacked the Mexican army during a military patrol in March 2024, the treasury said.

In early 2022, there was an attack involving gunfire and grenades at the U.S. Consulate in Nuevo Laredo. The treasury said it was retaliation by Cartel del Noreste after one of the group’s members was arrested. The consulate was closed for almost a month because of the incident.

The government’s action this past week was coordinated with Homeland Security Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was also coordinated with Mexico’s financial intelligence unit, Unidad de Inteligencia Financiera, according to the news release.

Have questions, concerns or tips? Send them to Ray at rjlewis@sbgtv.com.