On October 13, the U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctioned Pablo César Guajardo Álvarez—known as “El Takia,” a regional boss for the Northeast Cartel in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas—as part of an action targeting four other individuals and 11 companies linked to the criminal organization.
The designation by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) highlighted a criminal record dating back to 2017 and a figure immortalized in *narco-rap* songs by composer El Makabelico—who was himself sanctioned by Washington in August 2025 for ties to the same cartel.
Pablo César Guajardo Álvarez was arrested in 2020 for his alleged involvement in the January 4, 2017, murder of Ricardo Martínez Chávez and four other public officials, though he was subsequently released. The OFAC statement accuses him of participating in arms trafficking for the cartel during his tenure as a chief of hitmen in the border region.
OFAC noted that this designation marked its fourth action against Northeast Cartel networks since 2025, and the most far-reaching to date.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described the move as a turning point in the strategy to combat cartel financing: “This action marks the Treasury’s most significant effort to date to dismantle the Northeast Cartel’s financial infrastructure,” he stated in the official release.
