US formalises sanctions against Baja California figures over Sinaloa Cartel links

The United States has formally blacklisted a network of politicians, business owners, and commercial properties across Baja California, accusing them of providing financial and logistical backing to the Sinaloa Cartel.

The sanctions, first announced on 29 September by the US Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control, took formal legal effect on Tuesday following their publication in the US Federal Register. In total, the action targets 21 individuals and 25 companies, freezing any assets they hold under American jurisdiction and barring US citizens and businesses from dealing with them.

High-level political ties

Among the most prominent names on the register is Carlos Alberto Torres Torres, the former husband of Baja California Governor Marina del Pilar Ávila Olmeda. US authorities allege that Torres operated as a political fixer allied with Juan José Ponce Félix, known as "El Ruso", who leads the Los Rusos armed wing of the cartel's Los Mayos faction.

According to the Treasury, Torres used political leverage to shield cartel activities from state law enforcement and local government interference in exchange for monthly cash payments. The designation document also noted that the US State Department revoked his American visa in May 2025 because of his alleged cartel connections.

Torres has denied the accusations, saying he intends to approach the Treasury directly to contest the listing. Governor Ávila Olmeda has also moved to distance herself from the case, noting that she separated from Torres in 2025 before finalising a divorce, that their contact is confined to their shared son, and that she faces no American sanctions herself.

Businesses across Tijuana and Mexicali blocked

The sanctions reach deep into the border region's commercial fabric, hitting property firms, petrol stations, entertainment companies, and foreign exchange booths.

Torres's brother, Luis Alfonso Torres Torres, was also designated for allegedly providing material and financial assistance to the cartel. Five companies tied to him were placed on the blacklist: Ciudad Juárez distributor Distribuidora y Comercializadora ATAF, alongside four Tijuana-based businesses: property firm Edifika Desarrollos Baja, Raes Restaurante, The Woods Bar, and transport firm Vida Orgánica Tijuana.

American authorities also blocked several financial transfer points and retail chains suspected of laundering money:

• Currency exchange booths: Magic Casa de Cambio in Tijuana, tied to Ilia Elizabeth Félix Rivera, and Mía Centro Cambiario in Mexicali, linked to José Ángel Rivera Zazueta.
• Petrol stations: Grupo Gasolinero Nueva Esperanza in Mexicali, connected to Pedro Ariel Mendívil García, and Tijuana's Xolo Gas de Baja California, owned by Jerónimo Javier Vera Ayala.
• Hospitality and entertainment: Servicios Hoteleros Gastélum in Culiacán, alongside live entertainment promoters Conciertos y Espectáculos Inhouse and Promociones CHF in Tijuana.

The Treasury's order identified Ismael Zambada Sicairos, alias "Mayito Flaco", as the head of the cartel faction underpinning the targeted operations, which US officials describe as running illicit networks right along the border.