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Category: Crime
December 19, 2025
Crime
Immigration

Minnesota Somali Fraudster Pleads Guilty to Medicaid and Food Stamp Theft Scheme.

PULSE POINTS

âť“WHAT HAPPENED: Asha Farhan Hassan pleaded guilty to wire fraud in connection with schemes to defraud Medicaid and a child food program in Minnesota.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Asha Farhan Hassan, six additional defendants, and federal prosecutors in Minnesota.

đź“ŤWHEN & WHERE: Hassan pleaded guilty on Thursday in Minnesota. The fraud schemes span several years.

đź’¬KEY QUOTE: “To be clear, this is not an isolated scheme. From Feeding Our Future to Housing Stabilization Services and now Autism Services, these massive fraud schemes form a web that has stolen billions of dollars in taxpayer money. Each case we bring exposes another strand of this network. The challenge is immense, but our work continues.” – First Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson

🎯IMPACT: The fraud schemes have raised concerns about oversight in Minnesota’s public programs and led to criticism of the state’s Democratic leadership, including Governor Tim Walz.

IN FULL

The first defendant in Minnesota’s sprawling Medicaid autism program fraud scandal pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud on Thursday. Asha Farhan Hassan, 28, was part of a scheme defrauding Medicaid of $14 million in taxpayer dollars. Additionally, Hassan participated in a separate fraud scheme that saw the theft of $465,000 from a food assistance program for needy children.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Minnesota announced new charges against six other defendants in what the Department of Justice (DOJ) describes as “staggering, industrial-scale fraud.” The schemes are part of a broader fraud conspiracy tied to the state’s Somali immigrant community, which is now believed to have seen the theft of an estimated $9 billion in taxpayer dollars.

“To be clear, this is not an isolated scheme. From Feeding Our Future to Housing Stabilization Services and now Autism Services, these massive fraud schemes form a web that has stolen billions of dollars in taxpayer money. Each case we bring exposes another strand of this network. The challenge is immense, but our work continues,” First Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson said in September when the charges against Hassan were initially filed.

Evidence presented by federal prosecutors detailed how Hassan participated in fraudulent claims for a Medicaid program aimed at supporting children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and in the Feeding Our Future nonprofit, which misused state grants intended to provide meals to schoolchildren. Investigators allege much of the money was stolen, with few meals ever delivered. Thompson stated, “Every day, we look under a rock and find a new $50 million fraud scheme.”

Governor Tim Walz (D) has faced mounting criticism for his administration’s failure to take action against the fraud schemes. State government whistleblowers claim that Walz and other state officials were aware of the fraud network as early as 2019, but avoided taking legal action out of fear of being seen as “racist” by the powerful Minnesota Somali voter constituency.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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December 19, 2025
Crime
Immigration

Mexican Cartels Are Hiring Teenagers to Carry Out Targeted Killings in the U.S.

PULSE POINTS

âť“WHAT HAPPENED: Two teenagers hired by the Sinaloa Cartel pleaded guilty to murder and attempted murder in connection with assassination attempts in Chula Vista, California.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Andrew Nunez, Johncarlo Quintero, the Sinaloa Cartel, the Westside Wilmas gang, and an accomplice, Ricardo Sanchez.

đź“ŤWHEN & WHERE: The incidents occurred on March 26, 2024, in Chula Vista, California. The pair pleaded guilty on December 18, 2025, and sentencing is scheduled for March 2026.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The disgraceful tactic of cartels, street gangs, and the Mexican Mafia using underage children for murderous acts to evade enhanced punishments will not be tolerated.” – Mark Dargis, FBI Special Agent in Charge

🎯IMPACT: The case highlights a new avenue of concern in migrant perpetrated crime, with Mexican drug cartels employing teenagers to carry out violent murder plots.

IN FULL

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has revealed that Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel is using teenagers to carry out targeted assassinations in the United States. Andrew Nunez and Johncarlo Quintero, both 15-year-old members of the Mexican Mafia-affiliated Westside Wilmas gang, pleaded guilty on Thursday in federal court to murder and attempted murder charges in relation to an assassination plot ordered by the cartel.

Federal prosecutors detailed how the two teenagers—hailing from the greater Los Angeles area—were hired by the Mexican drug cartel to murder several targets in Chula Vista, California. The attacks resulted in one death and multiple injuries before the teenagers fled to Los Angeles.

The pair admitted to making two attempts in one day to eliminate a cartel target, first at a Chili’s restaurant and later at a luxury apartment complex where the target was allegedly residing. Court documents detail that on March 26, 2024, the teens drove from Los Angeles to Chula Vista to execute the hit. The first attempt at the restaurant parking lot failed after a gun jammed, and the teens then tried to strike the target with their vehicle. Later that evening, they returned to the target’s residence with an accomplice, Ricardo Sanchez, who was fatally shot by a family member defending the target.

According to the DOJ, the teens were promised $50,000 each for the assassination. Both admitted their goal was to gain status within the Westside Wilmas gang and exploit their status as minors to avoid harsher penalties. The family member who shot Sanchez was injured but survived.

Mark Dargis, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) San Diego Field Office, stated, “The disgraceful tactic of cartels, street gangs, and the Mexican Mafia using underage children for murderous acts to evade enhanced punishments will not be tolerated.”

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December 19, 2025
Crime
Immigration

Democrat Judge Convicted of Obstructing Arrest of Violent Illegal Immigrant.

PULSE POINTS

âť“WHAT HAPPENED: A Wisconsin judge was found guilty of obstruction for aiding a Mexican illegal immigrant in evading U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan, Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, ICE agents, and federal prosecutors.

đź“ŤWHEN & WHERE: December 18, 2025, in a Milwaukee County courtroom.

đź’¬KEY QUOTE: “This case is serious for all involved, it is ultimately about a single day, a single bad day, in a public courthouse.” – U.S. Attorney Brad Schimel

🎯IMPACT: The judge faces up to five years in prison on the felony obstruction conviction.

IN FULL

Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan has been convicted of obstruction for aiding Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, a violent and criminal illegal immigrant from Mexico, in evading arrest by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. The federal jury found her guilty of the felony obstruction charge but acquitted her of a misdemeanor count of concealing an individual to prevent arrest. The obstruction charge carries a potential sentence of up to five years in prison.

The incident occurred on April 18, 2025, during a pretrial hearing in a domestic abuse case involving Flores-Ruiz. ICE agents, alerted to his court appearance, arrived to detain him. Prosecutors argued that Judge Dugan intervened to obstruct the arrest, directing the agents to the chief judge’s office and allowing Flores-Ruiz to escape through a private jury door. Surveillance footage and audio recordings played during the trial supported these allegations.

Judge Dugan and her Democrat allies attempted to portray the prosecution as being politically motivated. However, U.S. Attorney Brad Schimel dismissed these claims, emphasizing that the case was singularly about Dugan’s criminal actions. “Some have sought to make this about a larger political battle,” Schimel said, adding: “While this case is serious for all involved, it is ultimately about a single day, a single bad day, in a public courthouse.”

During the trial, defense attorneys contended that Dugan was following courthouse protocols requiring employees to report ICE agents to supervisors. They argued she did not intentionally obstruct the arrest. However, prosecutors presented evidence that she expedited Flores-Ruiz’s case and instructed him to leave through a restricted exit, saying she would “take the heat” for her actions.

Flores-Ruiz, previously deported in 2013 and accused of multiple assaults in March 2025, was ultimately apprehended by ICE agents outside the courthouse after a chase. The Wisconsin Supreme Court suspended Dugan in May, citing public interest concerns. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed in November that Flores-Ruiz had been deported again.

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December 19, 2025
Crime
Immigration

Trump Suspends Diversity Visa Lottery After Recipient Linked to Brown, MIT Shootings.

PULSE POINTS

âť“WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump ordered the suspension of the U.S. green card diversity lottery program following the alleged involvement of a DV1 visa recipient in a series of shootings.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Trump, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and suspect Claudio Manuel Neves Valente.

đź“ŤWHEN & WHERE: The directive was issued on Thursday, December 19, 2025, in response to crimes in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

đź’¬KEY QUOTE: “At President Trump’s direction, I am immediately directing USCIS to pause the DV1 program to ensure no more Americans are harmed by this disastrous program.” – Kristi Noem

🎯IMPACT: The diversity visa program’s suspension bolsters national security amid ongoing immigration policy reforms.

IN FULL

President Donald J. Trump has ordered a pause in the U.S. diversity visa lottery program following revelations that a recipient of such a visa was implicated in recent deadly shootings at Brown University and the killing of an MIT professor. Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, a Portuguese national, was named as the suspect in the Brown University attack that killed two students and injured nine others, as well as the fatal shooting of MIT nuclear fusion scientist Nuno Loureiro.

On Thursday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem revealed the move, declaring, “At President Trump’s direction, I am immediately directing USCIS to pause the DV1 program to ensure no more Americans are harmed by this disastrous program.” She added that Neves Valente arrived in the United States via the diversity visa program in 2017 and received permanent residency.

According to court filings, Neves Valente first entered the country on a student visa in 2000 to study at Brown University. He departed the school shortly after, with his whereabouts unknown until he obtained his green card in 2017. Authorities located him dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound in a New Hampshire storage unit late Thursday, Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez reported.

The U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts issued a complaint affidavit outlining Neves Valente’s immigration history and his alleged role in the MIT professor’s death. The diversity visa lottery, which distributes up to 55,000 green cards annually through random selection, has long drawn criticism for prioritizing diversity over merit-based qualifications.

No established motive has emerged for the attacks, although some speculation has pointed to potential international ties.

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December 18, 2025
Crime
News

Feds Estimate Somali-Linked Fraud in Walz’s Minnesota Could Top $9 Billion.

PULSE POINTS

âť“WHAT HAPPENED: Federal authorities in Minnesota announced new charges and revealed the staggering scope of fraud that has cost taxpayers billions.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: First Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson, six new defendants, and eight others previously charged in the Minnesota Housing Stability Services Program fraud.

đź“ŤWHEN & WHERE: Announced Thursday in Minnesota; fraud spans programs dating back to at least 2018.

đź’¬KEY QUOTE: “The fraud is not small. It isn’t isolated. The magnitude cannot be overstated. What we see in Minnesota is not a handful of bad actors committing crimes. It’s staggering industrial-scale fraud. It’s swamping Minnesota and calling into question everything we know about our state.” – Joe Thompson

🎯IMPACT: Taxpayers have lost billions, with fraud involving multiple programs, international money transfers, and shell companies.

IN FULL

Federal prosecutors in Minnesota announced new charges on December 18 tied to a sweeping, largely Somali fraud investigation that officials say has cost taxpayers billions of dollars, describing the misconduct as unprecedented in scale and scope. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson said investigators have identified fraud across 14 government programs since 2018, involving an estimated $18 billion in public funds.

“The fraud is not small. It isn’t isolated. The magnitude cannot be overstated. What we see in Minnesota is not a handful of bad actors committing crimes. It’s staggering industrial-scale fraud. It’s swamping Minnesota and calling into question everything we know about our state,” Thompson said.

Six additional defendants were charged in the latest round of cases. Prosecutors allege some of the defendants stole about $750,000 intended for Medicaid recipients and submitted $1.4 million in fraudulent claims, with portions of the money used to purchase cryptocurrency. One defendant is accused of fleeing the country after receiving a subpoena.

Court filings allege that two of the defendants transferred more than $200,000 overseas to Kenya, where much of the money was used to buy real estate in Nairobi. Thompson said the schemes often involved shell companies created solely to extract money from state and federal programs.

“These aren’t companies that are providing some services but overbilling,” Thompson said. “These are companies providing essentially no services… shell companies created to defraud the program.”

The newly charged defendants include Abdinajib Hassan Yussuf, Anthony Waddell Jefferson, Lester Brown, Hassan Ahmed Hussein, Ahmed Abdirashid Mohamed, and Kaamil Omar Sallah. Prosecutors said some individuals involved in the fraud were drawn from outside Minnesota by what Thompson described as the state’s “easy money” housing stabilization services program.

The investigation follows years of scrutiny over large-scale fraud in Minnesota, including cases involving Medicaid, pandemic relief programs, and social service grants. Many of those cases have involved members of Minnesota’s Somali community. Whistleblowers and former state employees have alleged that state officials failed to act on early warnings about Somali-linked Medicaid and COVID-era fraud.

Former federal prosecutor Joe Teirab said the system was “easy” for fraudsters to exploit, pointing to weak oversight and rapid payouts. The Trump administration has prioritized the Minnesota cases, with federal agencies expanding investigations and prosecutions. Education Secretary Linda McMahon previously called on Governor Tim Walz (D) to resign over the issue.

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December 18, 2025
Crime
Immigration

$7 Million SNAP Fraud Scheme Uncovered, Run by Haitian Immigrant Duo.

PULSE POINTS

âť“WHAT HAPPENED: Federal prosecutors have charged two Haitian immigrants in Massachusetts with operating a $7 million food stamp fraud scheme.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Antonio Bonheur, 74, a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from Haiti, and Saul Alisme, 21, a lawful permanent resident.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The fraud occurred in Boston’s Mattapan neighborhood, with charges filed by federal prosecutors on December 15, 2025, and announced on December 17.

đź’¬KEY QUOTE: “Fraud is not isolated, but widespread.” – U.S. Attorney Leah Foley

🎯IMPACT: The case underscores systemic failures in welfare oversight, with taxpayers bearing the cost and legitimate recipients facing increased scrutiny.

IN FULL

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced charges against two Haitian immigrants accused of perpetrating an estimated $7 million fraud scheme involving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, also known as food stamps. According to federal prosecutors in Massachusetts, Antonio Bonheur, a 74-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen originally from Haiti, and Saul Alisme, a 21-year-old lawful permanent resident, operated two small bodegas in Boston’s Mattapan neighborhood where the fraud scheme took place.

Despite observably low inventory and minimal business transactions, one of the bodegas reportedly redeemed upwards of $500,000 in SNAP benefits in a single month. The figure, prosecutors note, is one that would be expected for a major retail grocery chain and not a small independent convenience store.

The DOJ indictment details how undercover federal agents visited the two stores and found that the establishments exchanged SNAP benefits for cash payments, exchanged liquor for SNAP benefits, sold international humanitarian aid food packages, and laundered the fraud profits through secondary bank accounts to avoid detection. Prosecutors allege that Bonheur fraudulently redeemed an estimated $6.8 million in SNAP benefits over the past three years alone.

“Fraud is not isolated, but widespread,” U.S. Attorney Leah Foley said of the scheme, while criticizing Massachusetts officials and other Democrat-controlled states who have refused to share SNAP data with the federal government.

Notably, the Massachusetts case comes on the heels of multiple sprawling social services fraud schemes being investigated in Minnesota. The National Pulse previously reported that state government whistleblowers accuse Governor Tim Walz (D) and his administration of having discovered the over $1 billion fraud schemes—connected to the Somali immigrant community—as early as 2019, but having done little to stop the criminal activity.

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December 18, 2025
Crime

Brown, MIT Shootings Possibly Linked, Investigation Suggests.

PULSE POINTS

âť“WHAT HAPPENED: Police are investigating a potential connection between a mass shooting at Brown University and the assassination of a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) professor, occurring two days apart.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Victims include Brown University students Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov and Ella Cook, along with MIT Professor Nuno Loureiro. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents are searching for suspects.

đź“ŤWHEN & WHERE: The Brown University shooting occurred on Saturday in Providence, Rhode Island, while the MIT professor was killed on Monday in Brookline, Boston.

đź’¬KEY QUOTE: “This shocking loss for our community comes in a period of disturbing violence in many other places.” – MIT President Sally Kornbluth

🎯IMPACT: The incidents have left communities grieving and sparked an ongoing investigation into potential links between the two crimes.

IN FULL

Authorities are now investigating a potential connection between the mass shooting at Brown University and the assassination of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Professor Nuno Loureiro, which occurred two days apart. The Brown University shooting, which took place on Saturday in Providence, Rhode Island, resulted in the deaths of two students and injuries to 12 others.

The victims, Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov and Ella Cook, were killed during a study session at the Ivy League university’s School of Engineering Barus and Holley Building. The gunman fired 40 rounds before fleeing the scene. Two days later, Professor Loureiro was gunned down inside his Brookline, Boston home around 8:30 PM. Loureiro, a married father of three and director of MIT’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center, was remembered as a “wonderful man” by his neighbors and colleagues.

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents have released photographs and videos of persons of interest in the Brown University case, but have yet to identify a suspect. Meanwhile, Loureiro’s murder has left the academic community mourning. MIT President Sally Kornbluth stated, “This shocking loss for our community comes in a period of disturbing violence in many other places.”

The Norfolk District Attorney’s Office confirmed that no arrests have been made in either case, describing the investigation as “active and ongoing.” Investigators initially stated there was no connection between the two incidents, but new information reported by WPRI on Thursday suggests a possible link. The outlet did not provide further details on the nature of the connection.

Loureiro, a lauded theoretical physicist and fusion scientist, began his academic career in Portugal before earning his doctorate at Imperial College London. He later worked at Princeton and the UK Atomic Energy Authority before joining MIT in 2024.

Image by Bohao Zhao.

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December 18, 2025
Crime
News

Police Uncover DNA Evidence, Fingerprints in Brown University Shooting.

PULSE POINTS

âť“WHAT HAPPENED: DNA evidence was discovered at the scene of the Brown University shooting as the search for the gunman continues.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Providence Police Department, led by Colonel Oscar Perez, and unnamed law enforcement sources.

đź“ŤWHEN & WHERE: The shooting occurred on Saturday at Brown University, Providence, with the manhunt for the shooter ongoing.

đź’¬KEY QUOTE: “It progresses every day with forensics, it progresses every day with witness statements, and so yeah, we’re just trying to find out, and we are going to do our best.” – Colonel Oscar Perez

🎯IMPACT: Investigators are advancing their efforts to identify the gunman and bring justice to the victims of this tragic event.

IN FULL

DNA evidence and fingerprints have been successfully recovered from the scene of Saturday’s deadly shooting at Brown University. According to Providence Police Chief Colonel Oscar Perez, forensic investigators found “physical evidence, and we’re in the process of examining that evidence.”

“And yes, we have some DNA that we manipulated, and so it just progresses every day,” Perez said, adding: “It progresses every day with forensics, it progresses every day with witness statements, and so yeah, we’re just trying to find out, and we are going to do our best.”

Since Saturday, police in Rhode Island have repeatedly reexamined the crime scene and the surrounding neighborhood in an effort to identify the gunman. An initial person of interest that was detained shortly after the deadly attack was subsequently released after it was determined they were not connected to the shooting that left two Brown University students dead.

Law enforcement sources, speaking to the media, have stated that in addition to the DNA evidence, fingerprints were also lifted from the shell casings. Meanwhile, Rhode Island officials are also seeking public assistance in identifying a second individual who they believe was in close proximity to the suspected shooter before the attack and may be able to help provide additional details about the gunman.

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December 17, 2025
Crime
News

HHS Investigating Walz, Minnesota Dems Over Potential Misuse of Federal Funds to Support Illegal Immigration.

PULSE POINTS

âť“WHAT HAPPENED: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has issued demand letters to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D), Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (D), and the Somali-linked nonprofit Feeding Our Future as part of an investigation into potential misuse of federal funds to support illegal migration.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Tim Walz, Jacob Frey, Feeding Our Future, and HHS Assistant Secretary Alex Adams.

đź“ŤWHEN & WHERE: The letters, covering fiscal years 2019 to 2025, demand a response by December 26, 2025, in Minnesota.

đź’¬KEY QUOTE: “We’re trying to get data from them that will help give us confidence that there’s not fraud.” – Alex Adams

🎯IMPACT: The investigation raises serious questions about oversight and potential fraud in Minnesota’s use of federal funds for social services programs.

IN FULL

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D), Minneapolis Democratic Mayor Jacob Frey (D), and the Somali-linked nonprofit Feeding Our Future have received demand letters from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a federal investigation into whether taxpayer funds were improperly used to support illegal immigration. HHS Assistant Secretary Alex Adams confirmed the inquiry, saying the agency is seeking detailed information about how federal money was spent.

The letters request records related to approximately $8.6 billion distributed through more than 1,000 federal grants covering fiscal years 2019, when Walz became Governor, through 2025. State and local entities have been ordered to respond by December 26, 2025.

Programs under scrutiny include Parents in Community Action, the Community Services Block Grant, the Social Services Block Grant, Title IV-E Foster Care, Refugee Cash Assistance, Refugee Medical Assistance, the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, and the Child Care and Development Fund. The letters seek extensive personal data, including names, addresses, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, and state identification numbers, to allow federal officials to check for irregularities. Adams said, “We’re trying to get data from them that will help give us confidence that there’s not fraud.”

The correspondence also references allegations from Minnesota Department of Human Services employees who allege that repeated warnings about fraud were ignored, whistleblowers faced retaliation, and misuse of federal funds continued under current leadership. The U.S. Treasury Department and the Republican-led House Oversight Committee are also conducting separate investigations.

The HHS probe comes amid heightened scrutiny of Minnesota following a series of high-profile fraud cases, including the Feeding Our Future scandal, in which federal prosecutors allege more than $250 million in child nutrition funds were stolen during the COVID-19 pandemic. Court filings show that many defendants in that case were connected to nonprofits serving Minnesota’s Somali community, with prosecutors alleging funds were diverted to shell companies, luxury purchases, and overseas accounts, potentially including al-Qaeda franchise al-Shabaab.

Additional whistleblower accounts have alleged that state officials were alerted as early as 2019 to potential fraud tied to Somali-run organizations but failed to intervene. Federal authorities have since charged dozens of suspects in multiple cases involving welfare, Medicaid, and pandemic-era aid programs, with total losses exceeding $1 billion. The investigations have intensified political pressure on Walz’s administration as federal agencies continue reviewing Minnesota’s handling of social services funds.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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December 17, 2025
Crime
News

Trump Treasury Sanctions Mexican Cartel and Boss.

PULSE POINTS

âť“WHAT HAPPENED: The U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Mexican fuel-theft cartel “Cartel de Santa Rosa de Lima” (CSRL), along with its imprisoned leader, Jose Antonio Yepez Ortiz.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The CSRL cartel, its leader Jose Antonio Yepez Ortiz (“El Marro”), and the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

đź“ŤWHEN & WHERE: Sanctions were announced on Tuesday, targeting operations in Mexico and the U.S., including regions near the U.S.-Mexico border.

🎯IMPACT: The sanctions freeze U.S.-based assets of CSRL and Yepez Ortiz, bar Americans from doing business with them, and aim to disrupt a black market worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

IN FULL

The U.S. Treasury Department has imposed sanctions on the Mexican fuel-theft organization Cartel de Santa Rosa de Lima (CSRL) and its leader, Jose Antonio Yepez Ortiz, known as “El Marro,” as part of the Trump administration’s broader campaign to dismantle cartel operations and cut off their access to the U.S. financial system.

According to the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), CSRL has built a lucrative criminal enterprise by stealing fuel and crude oil from Mexico’s state-owned energy company, Pemex. The cartel allegedly bribes Pemex insiders, taps pipelines, hijacks tanker trucks, and intimidates employees to facilitate the theft. The stolen fuel and crude oil are then sold throughout Mexico, the United States, and Central America, with crude oil frequently smuggled into the U.S. while falsely labeled as “waste oil.” U.S. officials say the proceeds are funneled back to cartel networks, fueling corruption, violence, and organized crime.

Yepez Ortiz is currently serving a 60-year prison sentence in Mexico, but U.S. authorities allege he continues to direct CSRL’s operations from behind bars, communicating through lawyers and relatives. CSRL’s activities have been linked to escalating violence in Guanajuato, now considered one of Mexico’s deadliest states due to cartel infighting and criminal activity.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the sanctions reflect President Donald J. Trump’s commitment to “eliminate” cartels by severing their financial lifelines. Under the measures, any U.S.-based assets tied to CSRL or Yepez Ortiz are frozen, Americans are barred from conducting business with them, and violations can result in civil or criminal penalties.

The CSRL sanctions come amid a broader escalation in U.S. policy toward cartels. The Trump administration has designated certain major cartel organizations as foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs) and is targeting drug trafficking boats. Recent anti-cartel strikes and enforcement actions have reportedly disrupted trafficking routes and pressured criminal groups operating in Mexico and beyond, signaling a more aggressive approach to confronting what U.S. officials describe as “narco-terrorist” networks.

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