Borderlands Mexico: US widens Mexican cartel crackdown to tequila makers, baby shoe company

Borderlands Mexico is a weekly rundown of developments in the world of United States-Mexico cross-border trucking and trade.

This week in Borderlands Mexico: US widens Mexican cartel crackdown to tequila makers, baby shoe company; Port Houston posts record first-half container volume; and Foundry Commercial plans 192,000-square-foot logistics center in Fort Worth.

US widens Mexican cartel crackdown to tequila makers, baby shoe company The Trump administration has imposed sanctions on more than 50 Mexican individuals and companies tied to the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG). U. S.

Treasury Department officials said they are targeting an expansive business network that stretches from tequila production and fuel distribution to logistics, private security and even a baby shoe manufacturer, according to a news release.

The action, announced Thursday by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), is the largest sanctions package ever aimed at CJNG and is designed to cut off the cartel’s access to legitimate businesses used to generate revenue, launder money and support drug trafficking operations.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the sanctions strike at the cartel’s “leadership, financiers, and criminal networks,” denying CJNG resources used to traffic fentanyl into the U. S. and finance other criminal enterprises. The sanctions freeze any U. S. -based assets belonging to the designated individuals and companies and prohibit U. S.

persons from conducting business with them. Foreign financial institutions that knowingly facilitate transactions involving sanctioned parties also risk secondary sanctions.

Legitimate businesses allegedly used as cartel fronts Unlike previous sanctions focused primarily on cartel leaders, Thursday’s action highlights how CJNG allegedly embedded itself within Mexico’s legitimate economy through businesses spanning numerous industries. Among the sanctioned companies are: CompanyIndustryAlleged CJNG connectionPetrocoda S. A. de C.

V. Gas stations/fuel retailLinked to Audias Flores Silva (“Jardinero”)Casa Tequilera El Origen del TequilaTequila/agaveLinked to Roberto Jiménez AriasRancho San Miguel Los Tres HermanosTequila and agave productionLinked to Gerardo “El Cachas” Botello networkBubux Baby Shoes S. A. de C. V.

Children’s footwearOwned by alleged CJNG leader Gerardo “El Cachas” BotelloStrong Energy S. A. de C. V. Petroleum and natural gasAllegedly tied to fuel theft and fentanyl networkTransic Logistic S. A. de C. V.

LogisticsAllegedly used to divert liquid fentanyl to CJNGCorporativo de Seguridad Privada Alfa y GamaPrivate securityLinked to CJNG family networkGreen AgropacificAgricultural/beverage cropsLinked to CJNG family network One of the more unusual sanctions targets was Bubux Baby Shoes, a company that markets infant footwear.

Treasury alleges the business is owned by senior CJNG member Gerardo Botello Rozalez, known as “El Cachas,” while relatives allegedly occupied leadership positions within the company and related businesses.

Fuel theft and logistics remain key revenue streams One of the most significant aspects of the sanctions package is the Treasury’s renewed emphasis on fuel theft and logistics. The U. S.

Treasury said CJNG continues to diversify beyond narcotics trafficking through huachicol—the theft and smuggling of gasoline and crude oil—which costs Mexico billions of dollars annually. Officials said some cartel operatives simultaneously participate in fentanyl trafficking and fuel theft operations.

OFAC also sanctioned logistics company Transic Logistic S. A. de C. V. and petroleum company Strong Energy S. A. de C. V. , alleging the businesses were controlled by Alma Laura Mena Alvarado and Jose Mora Leon.

Treasury alleges the logistics company diverted liquid fentanyl to CJNG while the pair also participated in gasoline theft in cartel-controlled territory.

New CJNG leadership targeted The sanctions also formally identify Juan Carlos Gonzalez, also known as “Pelón,” as the cartel’s new leader following the death of CJNG founder Rubén Oseguera Cervantes (“El Mencho”) earlier this year. Treasury said Gonzalez has been charged in a U. S. federal drug trafficking indictment, while the U. S.

State Department is offering up to a $5 million reward for information leading to his arrest or conviction. Why it matters: The sanctions demonstrate that U. S.

authorities increasingly view cartels as sophisticated business enterprises that rely on transportation, fuel, agriculture, manufacturing and consumer companies to finance criminal operations—placing legitimate cross-border businesses and supply chains under greater scrutiny for potential cartel exposure.

Port Houston posts record first-half container volume Port Houston handled 2. 23 million twenty-foot equivalent units during the first half of 2026, the highest first-half container volume in the port’s history. Container volume reached 389,962 TEUs in June, an 18% increase from the same month last year. Loaded i