Who Are the 21 Individuals and Companies Linked to ‘La Mayiza’ Sanctioned by the United States?

At some point yesterday, you or I likely came across the word OFAC. What is it? Well, it is the Office of Foreign Assets Control within the U.S. Department of the Treasury, which sanctioned 21 individuals and 25 companies linked to the “Mayiza” faction of the Sinaloa Cartel. 

Notable figures include its leader, Ismael Zambada; hitmen like “Mayito Flaco”— son of Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada—and three regional bosses. In Mexicali, there is Juan Ponce Félix, leader of “Los Rusos” (The Russians), which is the main armed wing of this group. 

We have spoken extensively here about Los Rusos and explained how this criminal group operates. Then there are René Arzate García—alias “La Rana” (The Frog)—and his brother Alfonso; according to the investigation, they have controlled Tijuana for the last decade and a half. 

But here is the revelation: OFAC included—in a scheme it labeled “narco-corrupt”—the ex-husband of Baja California Governor Marina del Pilar Ávila (of the Morena party). Carlos Alberto Torres Torres is accused of acting as a political operator for the cartel, shielding it from government and security force intervention by allying with “El Ruso.” 

It was also confirmed that the State Department revoked his U.S. visa in May 2025 for precisely that reason. We already knew about the visa issue. According to a complaint filed on June 11, 2025, Carlos Alberto Torres received $150,000 monthly from Pedro Ariel Mendívil García—the former Secretary of Security for Mexicali—who also accepted bribes from “El Ruso” to control the municipal police. 

They protected them. Luis Alfonso Torres, Carlos’s brother, was responsible for receiving this money to launder it through companies and political campaigns. With this measure, all his assets and accounts in the United States are being blocked. 

Treasury Secretary Scott Besent stated that no cartel kingpin, corrupt Mexican government official, or financial operator is beyond their reach, and that the message is clear. The Trump administration will identify and disrupt any actor that threatens its security or the integrity of the financial system.

Source: NMás