The U.S. Treasury Department on 6 Aug. imposed sanctions on Mexican rap artist Ricardo “El Makabelico” Hernández and three high-ranking members of the Cartel del Noreste, citing their role in financing and directing the violent criminal organization. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control said Hernández’s concerts and digital streams serve as a money-laundering conduit, with about 50 percent of his royalties flowing directly to the cartel. The other designees are Abdon Federico Rodríguez García, considered the cartel’s second-in-command; Antonio Romero Sánchez, an ex-policeman who oversees operations in Coahuila and Tamaulipas; and Francisco Daniel Esqueda Nieto, alleged tactical chief in Nuevo Laredo. All U.S. assets of the four individuals are now frozen, and U.S. persons are generally barred from dealing with them. The action builds on a May round of sanctions and follows the cartel’s designation earlier this year as a foreign terrorist organization. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the department will “continue to be relentless” in disrupting revenue streams that support drug trafficking, extortion and human smuggling along the U.S.–Mexico border. Formed from the remnants of Los Zetas, the Cartel del Noreste is regarded as one of Mexico’s most violent groups and holds sway over key corridors at Laredo, Texas.