US EditionUS Treasury sanctions criminal group operating casinos in Mexico
The U.S. Treasury sanctioned over 20 businesses including 10 casinos for laundering drug cartel funds, blocking assets and restricting U.S. business ties to disrupt illicit finance.
- On Thursday, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced sanctions targeting a criminal group and businesses accused of laundering Sinaloa cartel proceeds, with OFAC sanctioning 27 targets and FinCEN acting against 10 Mexican casinos.
- Mexico's Finance Ministry blocked operations at 13 casinos after investigators detected multimillion-dollar cash flows and illicit fund movements, targeting the Hysa family accused of laundering Sinaloa cartel proceeds.
- Named targets include the Skampa, Palermo, Emine, Mirage and the Midas Casino chain, with all activities suspended and Grupo Salinas denying wrongdoing while authorities blocked accounts.
- Treasury Department reported on November 13, 2025 that criminal complaints were filed and the Tax Prosecutor's Office was notified, while Mexico sanctioned five more companies amid ongoing bilateral efforts.
- Regulatory gaps and the growth of online platforms drew attention amid the enforcement action, as President Claudia Sheinbaum said Mexico's casino law needs updating and flagged digital casinos and social media advertising.
26 Articles
26 Articles
The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned a number of casinos, restaurants, and their owners in Mexico this week, pointing to them as alleged money laundering for the Sinaloa Cartel. In total, they claim that these gambling houses helped wash $2 million from 2017 to 2024; which has led to the Financial Crimes Control Network issuing an alert about 10 casinos while the Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned 20 companies and 7 individuals.
Following Mexico’s lead, US sanctions cartel-linked casinos across Mexico
Two days after Mexico announced the closure of 13 gambling establishments and websites involved in possible money laundering, the U.S. Treasury Department restricted access to the U.S. financial system for 10 Mexico-based establishments, accusing the Sinaloa cartel of using them to introduce illicit funds into the international financial system. The U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned 27 targets in all, while the Financial Cr…
U.S. Treasury revealed that Albania's organized crime family would be behind at least 10 casinos in Mexico.
A couple of days after Mexico announced the blockade of 13 establishments and betting pages involved in possible money laundering, the U.S. Treasury Department, through the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), sanctioned 27 targets; while the Financial Crimes Control Network (FinCEN) restricted access to the U.S. financial system to 10 establishments, which it claims to be used by the Sinaloa cartel to introduce resources of illicit origin i…
In recent years, the connection between Mexican casinos and criminal organizations, such as the Sinaloa Cartel, has been an issue of growing interest in investigations into drug trafficking and money laundering. Through various mechanisms, these establishments have become key points for money laundering, facilitating the movement of large amounts of money of illicit origin. The situation is aggravated by the complicity of front companies operati…
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