President Trump has frozen the assets of two dangerous Cartel del Noreste leaders, striking a direct blow to the criminal organization fueling America’s deadly fentanyl crisis and fulfilling his promise to make the country safe again.
Key Takeaways
- The Trump administration imposed sanctions on Miguel Angel de Anda Ledezma and Ricardo Gonzalez Sauceda, two high-level members of the Mexican Cartel del Noreste, freezing all U.S. assets and blocking transactions.
- Gonzalez was arrested in February with significant quantities of fentanyl pills, methamphetamine, and firearms, highlighting the cartel’s direct role in America’s deadly opioid epidemic.
- Angel mom Anne Fundner, who lost her son to fentanyl poisoning, praised the sanctions as sending a “very strong message” to the cartels, which she describes as foreign terrorist organizations.
- The Cartel del Noreste is recognized as one of Mexico’s most violent drug trafficking organizations, involved in extensive drug and arms smuggling operations across the border.
- Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent emphasized the administration will “use all available tools to relentlessly target drug cartels and foreign terrorist organizations to Make America Safe Again.”
Trump’s Direct Action Against Cartel Leadership
President Trump’s administration has taken decisive action against the Mexican drug cartels by imposing economic sanctions on two high-ranking members of the Cartel del Noreste. The Treasury Department announced Wednesday that Miguel Angel de Anda Ledezma and Ricardo Gonzalez Sauceda, both deeply involved in drug and arms trafficking operations, will have all their U.S. properties and interests blocked. This move represents a significant escalation in the fight against the organizations responsible for trafficking deadly fentanyl into American communities and causing tens of thousands of deaths annually.
The sanctioned individuals are key players in one of Mexico’s most violent criminal enterprises. Gonzalez was arrested in February with substantial quantities of fentanyl pills, methamphetamine, and weapons, demonstrating the direct connection between these cartel leaders and the deadly substances flooding across America’s southern border. By freezing their assets and prohibiting U.S. persons from conducting business with them, the administration aims to significantly disrupt the cartel’s financial networks and operational capabilities, limiting their ability to continue poisoning American communities.
Derek Maltz Sr., a former agent of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), has called for Mexican drug cartels to be held accountable for what he describes as "massive amounts" of American deaths. He suggests that these organizations should be treated as "Narco-Terrorist… pic.twitter.com/Aw6XoWrZvT
— Derek Maltz Sr (@derekmaltz_sr) November 23, 2024
A Mother’s Grief Transformed into Advocacy
Anne Fundner, who lost her son to a fentanyl overdose, has become a powerful voice supporting President Trump’s aggressive approach to combating the cartels. “The Trump administration is targeting two high-level Mexican cartel members with sanctions, the Treasury Department announced Wednesday, in a move angel mom Anne Fundner calls a ‘very strong message,'” Fundner stated, emphasizing the importance of treating these organizations as the foreign terrorist entities they effectively are. Her tragedy has fueled her advocacy, and she believes Trump’s policies could prevent other families from experiencing similar heartbreak.
“Will continue to use all available tools to relentlessly target drug cartels and foreign terrorist organizations to Make America Safe Again,” said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
The sanctions come amid growing concerns about the dramatic increase in fentanyl trafficking during the previous administration. U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported substantial seizures of the deadly synthetic opioid, indicating an alarming surge in the cartels’ smuggling operations. For families like Fundner’s, these statistics represent more than numbers – they represent lives lost and communities devastated by an epidemic largely fueled by criminal organizations operating with relative impunity across the southern border until now.
Border Security Experts Applaud Strong Measures
Paul Perez, president of the National Border Patrol Council, has strongly endorsed the Trump administration’s sanctions as fulfilling a critical campaign promise. “President Trump’s actions against the cartels fulfill the promise that he made when he stated time and time again that he would not allow the cartels to operate with impunity on our borders or within the interior of the United States,” Perez said in a statement Wednesday. This endorsement from border security professionals underscores the practical impact these financial restrictions will have on cartel operations.
“The new sanctions deal a significant blow and serve to send the message to all cartels, as well as to those who wish to harm Americans, that President Trump will not just talk about it, he will follow through,” said Paul Perez.
The sanctions will ensure that “the cartels no longer can provide unlimited funds to further their criminal enterprises and allow the U.S. government to disrupt their daily activities on both sides of the border,” according to Perez. By targeting the financial infrastructure that supports cartel operations, the Trump administration is addressing the problem at its source rather than merely dealing with its consequences. This approach represents a strategic shift toward proactive measures against the criminal networks responsible for trafficking fentanyl and other dangerous substances into American communities.
