US Sanctions Mexican Cartel Faction Linked to Border Corruption
The Treasury Department is targeting the Sinaloa Cartel's Los Mayos faction, its U.S.-born leader, and associated individuals and entities for their alleged roles in fentanyl trafficking and corrupting officials.
The Trump administration has imposed sweeping sanctions on a sprawling Sinaloa Cartel network accused of corrupting Mexican officials and funneling illicit substances and money through U.S. border corridors. The Treasury Department announced sanctions against 21 individuals and 25 entities linked to the Los Mayos faction of the Sinaloa Cartel.
At the center of the crackdown is Ismael Zambada Sicairos, known as "Mayito Flaco," a dual U.S.-Mexican citizen born in Anaheim, California. Treasury describes him as the "undisputed head" of Los Mayos, a powerful cartel faction that allegedly maintains control over critical trafficking routes through political and police corruption, money laundering, and violence extending into Southern California.
![Ismael "Mayito Flaco" Zambada Sicairos]( "Treasury describes U.S.-born Ismael "Mayito Flaco" Zambada Sicairos as the "undisputed head" of the Sinaloa Cartel’s Los Mayos faction following the arrest of his father, longtime kingpin Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada Garcia.")
The sanctions aim to disrupt the cartel's operations, which Treasury alleges have penetrated government and law enforcement in Baja California, the Mexican state bordering California. Officials claim that "narco-corruption has reached the highest levels" of the state government, citing allegations that the ex-husband of Gov. Marina del Pilar Ávila Olmeda used political influence to protect cartel operations. A former Mexicali public security chief is also accused of accepting bribes to allow the cartel to control municipal police.
These allegations shed light on a controversy from the previous year when the U.S. revoked the visas of both Ávila and her then-husband, Carlos Torres Torres. Treasury stated that Torres' visa was revoked in May 2025 due to his "cartel affiliation and work on behalf of the Sinaloa Cartel."
The cartel's reach is also alleged to extend directly into California. Lorenzo Castillo Maldonado, an associate of Mayito Flaco, is accused of hiring hitmen on the cartel leader's orders to eliminate rivals in Southern California. Another part of the network allegedly collaborated with Southern California money exchanges to collect bulk cash from drug sales and repatriate the proceeds to Mexico.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that the action demonstrates that "no cartel kingpin, corrupt Mexican government official, or financial facilitator is beyond the reach of Treasury’s authorities." The sanctions are designed to cut targets off from the U.S. financial system, block assets under U.S. jurisdiction, and prohibit Americans from conducting business with them. Foreign financial institutions that assist sanctioned individuals could also face penalties.
Mayito Flaco, born in Anaheim in 1982, is believed to have taken command of Los Mayos following the July 2024 arrest of his father, Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada Garcia, a longtime Sinaloa Cartel kingpin. The elder Zambada was sentenced to life in prison and ordered to pay $15 billion in drug trafficking profits.
The arrest of El Mayo reportedly triggered a violent power struggle between Los Mayos and Los Chapitos, another Sinaloa faction. Treasury notes that these two factions remain in conflict, requiring both to rebuild leadership and alliances.
Treasury also listed Luis Alfonso Torres Torres, brother of Carlos Torres Torres, as being sanctioned for collecting bribes and laundering illicit funds through various companies and political campaigns. Pedro Ariel Mendivil Garcia, former Mexicali public security director, is also targeted for allegedly accepting bribes from a cartel leader in exchange for facilitating drug trafficking and police control.