Trump Administration Sanctions Mexican Cartel, Cuba, and Terror Networks

The United States government executed a wide-reaching sanctions campaign on July 23, 2026, targeting narco-terrorism in Mexico, the Cuban regime, and international terror financiers. The most extensive action focused on the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), with the Treasury Department sanctioning more than 50 individuals and businesses. This action targets the cartel's leadership, specifically new leader Juan Carlos Gonzalez, also known as Pelon, who took control following the death of founder Nemesio Ruben Oseguera Cervantes in February. The sanctions strike networks laundering assets through tequila, construction, and clothing sectors, while the State Department offered a $5 million reward for Gonzalez's arrest.

Simultaneously, President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 14404, imposing sanctions on Cuban government officials, energy firms, and the military conglomerate GAESA. The State Department specifically targeted Health Minister Jose Angel Portal Miranda and the Central Unit for Medical Cooperation, characterizing Cuba's overseas medical missions as a system of forced labor and human trafficking. Washington alleges the Cuban regime confiscates up to 95% of healthcare workers' wages.

These measures were paired with sanctions against financial networks supporting the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated the CJNG action was designed to deny the cartel resources used to traffic fentanyl and threaten American lives, following the administration's 2025 designation of CJNG as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.