U.S. Sanctions Los Zetas for Money Laundering via Racing and Construction
U.S. Treasury sanctions Los Zetas members and companies for laundering cartel money through horse racing and construction ventures.
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The U.S. Department of the Treasury has sanctioned four individuals and several companies linked to the Los Zetas cartel, revealing how the violent Mexican drug group uses legitimate businesses to launder money and fund political campaigns.
Los Zetas’ Violent History
Los Zetas, one of Mexico’s most violent cartels, has a long history of mass killings, including women and children. In 2014, the cartel kidnapped, murdered, and incinerated over 300 victims in Coahuila, and the exact number of casualties remains unknown. In 2011, the cartel locked down a casino in Monterrey and set it on fire, killing 52 people and injuring dozens, mostly innocent women.
Money Laundering Through Horse Racing
The U.S. Treasury revealed that Los Zetas used American Quarter Horse races as a method to launder money, starting in 2008. In 2012, the U.S. government seized nearly 500 horses from horse racing businesses linked to the cartel. Despite these actions, the cartel continues to operate its horse racing business in Nuevo Laredo under the name Club La Molienda, which includes a racetrack, bar, restaurant, and marketplace for high-end racehorses.
Sanctioned Individuals and Businesses
The Treasury also sanctioned Gamaliel Garza Garcia and his son Gamaliel Garza Elias, who own numerous businesses in Nuevo Laredo and are known horse enthusiasts. Both are members of the cartel and have used their businesses to launder money and facilitate government contracts in Mexico. Garza Elias is described as delivering illicit funds to Mexican political candidates on behalf of the cartel.
Among the sanctioned individuals is Pablo Cesar “El Takia” Guajardo Alvarez, the current plaza boss in Nuevo Laredo, known for his violent past and previous arrest in 2020. The Treasury also sanctioned Tamex Leasing or Tamex Logistics, a transportation company linked to drug shipments, and its employee Francisco Javier Inzunza Partida for his role in coordinating those shipments.
Source: Breitbart
