Mexico’s Ministry of Finance announced Thursday that it has frozen the bank accounts of individuals and companies named in U.S. Treasury Department sanctions targeting the Sinaloa Cartel. The move follows a designation by the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) against Los Mayos, a faction of the cartel, and its network of business fronts.
Officials in Mexico said the measure is administrative and preventive — it does not amount to a criminal conviction — but is intended to stop illicit funds from entering the country’s financial system. Mexico’s Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF) will now investigate the financial activity of those sanctioned. If irregularities are found, the agency said it will refer the cases to the federal attorney for potential prosecution.
U.S. Sanctions and Political Fallout
The U.S. Treasury this week imposed sanctions on Los Mayos, five individuals, and 15 companies accused of helping launder drug money through businesses in Baja California. Among those named was Araceli Brown, a former mayor of Playas de Rosarito who now serves as a state legislator in Baja California.
According to OFAC, during Brown’s time as mayor, cartel associates were allegedly placed in key positions inside Rosarito’s government, giving the group leverage to launder money and secure official protection for its operations.
Why Brown Was Named
U.S. investigators say Brown maintained close ties to business and financial operators linked to Los Mayos. Those networks allegedly used bars, restaurants, and nightclubs in Rosarito as fronts to wash millions of dollars in drug proceeds.
The Treasury report alleges that Brown’s political influence helped the network maintain control over local government and shield its members from prosecution for crimes ranging from extortion and kidnapping to drug trafficking.
While neither the sanctions nor the account freezes constitute criminal charges, Brown’s designation highlights how Los Mayos sought to build political alliances in Mexican border communities to preserve trafficking routes and move illicit profits north into the United States.
What Happens Next
The blocked accounts linked to Brown and others will remain frozen in Mexico while investigations continue. Mexican authorities emphasized that the measure does not imply guilt but is part of joint efforts with the U.S. to disrupt the financial infrastructure of the Sinaloa Cartel.
