The U.S. Treasury Department has sanctioned five individuals linked to Mexico’s Gulf Cartel for illegal fishing activities in U.S. waters, a move aimed at disrupting the cartel’s operations in the Gulf of Mexico.
The sanctions, announced by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), mark a significant action against the cartel, which is better known for its violent drug trafficking. The Gulf Cartel has expanded into illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing to fund its broader criminal enterprises, according to U.S. officials.
“Transnational criminal organizations like the Gulf Cartel are increasingly diversifying their revenue streams,” said Bradley T. Smith, Acting Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence. “By targeting IUU fishing alongside traditional crimes like drug trafficking, we’re exposing the full scale of their operations.”
The cartel uses “lancha” boats—light, fast vessels—to illegally harvest shark and red snapper from U.S. waters, species in high demand due to their abundance under strict U.S. regulations. These operations, based in Playa Bagdad near Tamaulipas, Mexico, generate millions annually, according to OFAC.
“Beyond harming marine ecosystems, these operations provide cover for drug smuggling and human trafficking,” said a U.S. Coast Guard spokesperson. “This dual purpose of lanchas underscores the interconnectedness of criminal activities.”
Those sanctioned include Ismael Guerra Salinas, known as "Mayelo," and his brother Omar Guerra Salinas, who oversee lancha operations in Playa Bagdad. Another individual, Francisco Javier Sierra Angulo, known as "El Borrado," leads the cartel’s activities in Matamoros, Tamaulipas.
The Biden administration has emphasized the broader implications of IUU fishing, which contributes to overfishing and destabilizes global fisheries critical to economic and ecological sustainability. In a 2022 National Security Memorandum, the administration described IUU fishing as “one of the greatest threats to ocean health.”
The sanctions were implemented in coordination with Mexican authorities, including La Unidad de Inteligencia Financiera (UIF), to enhance cross-border efforts to dismantle the cartel’s financial networks and disrupt its illegal activities.
