Report details public contracts awarded to U.S.-sanctioned firms
Infobae México reports that U.S.-sanctioned CEGESA received about 110 million pesos in Nuevo León contracts, while COPASA separately won a Nuevo Laredo asphalt contract. Sheinbaum requested evidence of alleged cartel ties and distinguished account irregularities from organized-crime links.
President Claudia Sheinbaum requested evidence supporting alleged organized-crime links after U.S. sanctions targeted four people and 11 Mexican companies, according to Infobae México. The outlet reported that two of the companies had received public contracts in Nuevo León and Tamaulipas.
The U.S. Treasury Department accused the network of laundering money for the Northeast Cartel and channeling funds to favored political candidates. Sheinbaum said Mexico’s Financial Intelligence Unit, or UIF, supports account freezes when it finds irregularities, but does not automatically adopt U.S. sanctions when it finds no supporting evidence.
She distinguished irregularities in a bank account from evidence of a cartel connection. She said information establishing such links should be provided so Mexican authorities can investigate, and that the UIF must refer detected irregularities to the federal Attorney General’s Office. Based on what the Finance Ministry had told her, she said no organized-crime link had been established.
Infobae’s review of public records found that Construcciones y Edificaciones Garza Elías S.A. de C.V., known as CEGESA, received about 110 million pesos in three contracts from Nuevo León’s border development corporation, CODEFRONT, during Governor Samuel García’s administration. The projects were in Anáhuac at the CEFACIL international trade facilities and Colombia-Laredo border port.
The detailed awards were 14,984,498 pesos on July 18, 2022, for building and equipping CEFACIL; 24,989,586 pesos in February 2023 for urban improvements at the Colombia border port’s tourist stop; and 69,989,773 pesos six months later for booths and access lanes. Infobae reported that Marco Antonio González Valdez signed the contracts available through the National Transparency Platform.
Corporate records cited by the outlet identify Gamaliel G. G. as CEGESA’s representative, sole administrator and majority shareholder, with his son Gamaliel G. E. holding a minority stake. The company was incorporated in Villaldama in March 2016 and registered in Anáhuac.
Treasury alleged that CEGESA obtained public contracts and subcontracted cartel members to perform the work, while its subsidiary Concretos y Productos Asfálticos del Norte, or COPASA, supplied materials. COPASA separately received a 1,227,458-peso contract from Nuevo Laredo in June 2025 to supply asphalt.
The network described by OFAC also included Inova NLD, Construaceros del Fuerte and businesses in fuel, freight, real estate and horse racing. Four of the 11 sanctioned companies were incorporated together on March 11, 2025: Distribuidora de Gas Económico, Gas Energía Confiable, Propane Trading Group and Transportadora de Gas de Nuevo Laredo.
The report also identified G. G. with the Cuadra San Dibanh stable in Anáhuac. Its horses competed at Nuevo Laredo’s La Molienda track, which OFAC sanctioned over allegations that fees charged to riders and spectators generated cartel revenue.
Original report: Infobae México.