Former Rosarito mayor sanctioned by U.S. on cartel allegations

The former mayor of Playas de Rosarito, who is now a Mexican federal congress member, has been sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department along with alleged regional leaders of a Sinaloa Cartel faction known as Los Mayos, U.S. officials announced Thursday.

Araceli Brown, who served two terms as mayor of the Baja California beach town from 2019 to 2024, has been named as part of a “vital support network” that allegedly helped Los Mayos leaders in the region collect extortion payments and ensure police protection for their criminal activities, according to the sanctions.

Los Mayos, composed of individuals aligned with Sinaloa cartel co-founder Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, are said to be responsible for producing and smuggling drugs from Mexico to the United States. Brothers Alfonso “El Aquiles” and René “La Rana” Arzate are believed to be the regional leaders, according to the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, or OFAC.

Brown, 54, a current member of the Mexican Congress from the Morena ruling party, said on Thursday that she was “surprised.”

“I haven’t received any notification at all,” Brown told the media in Mexico City in Spanish. “No phone call, no WhatsApp message, no email. I don’t know what this is about.”

Sanctions include blocking assets in the U.S. and prohibiting U.S. entities from conducting business with those on the list.

The agency sanctioned a total of seven individuals, including Juan José Ponce Félix, also known as “El Ruso,” who is allegedly the leader of the armed wing of Los Mayos. The U.S. is offering a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to his arrest.

The agency also identified 15 companies in connection with one of the alleged Los Mayos networks operating in Baja California.

“Like individuals, companies must be held accountable for their actions because there are consequences,” Christopher Teal, the U.S. Consul General in Tijuana, said in a statement on Facebook.

Baja California Gov. Marina del Pilar Ávila said on Thursday during her weekly press conference in Tijuana that she could not provide additional information on the case and that the federal government would be in charge of the investigation.

Shortly after the Treasury’s notice, Mexico announced similar measures against the seven individuals and 15 companies designated by the U.S. government.

“The integration of international lists issued by foreign authorities enables the (Financial Intelligence Unit) to act in coordination with the Mexican financial system to prevent funds of criminal origin from entering or circulating in the national economy,” the Mexican Ministry of Finance and Public Credit said in a news release.

Mexican officials called this a “preventive measure, not a judicial decision,” adding that it “does not prejudge the existence of criminal liability without evidence.”

The agency reported that it will conduct an investigation and notify the Mexican Attorney General’s Office if illegal activities are identified.

Brown denied on Thursday that her bank accounts had been blocked. She added that she was in San Diego on Sunday to visit an uncle in the hospital and that she had no problems crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.

When asked about the case during her daily press conference on Friday, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum denied that there is any indication in Mexico that Brown may be involved in organized crime. However, she added that an investigation would be opened if U.S. authorities present evidence.

Sheinbaum said that, for the time being, her government does not have enough evidence to block Brown’s accounts in Mexico, despite the announcement the day before by the Mexican Ministry of Finance and Public Credit.

The U.S. Treasury claimed that Brown, along with two associates, “collected extortion payments for the Arzates, assisted in managing the Arzate brothers’ operations, and ensured protection for the Arzates’ criminal activities by the Department of Public Security in Rosarito.”

In a statement posted to her Facebook page on Thursday, Brown said that she was “the target of a smear campaign seeking to discredit me.”

The OFAC has a process through which people can request to be removed from the sanctions lists. Removal is based on a thorough review of each case.

Rosarito is home to around 120,000 people and is a popular tourist destination with an expat community. It is located about 15 miles south of the border.

The new sanctions were reported amid visits this week to San Diego and Mexico City by John K. Hurley, the U.S. Treasury’s under secretary for terrorism and financial Intelligence.

“The Sinaloa Cartel is a foreign terrorist organization that continues to traffic narcotics, launder its proceeds, and corrupt local officials,” he said in a statement. “Today’s action, taken in coordination with our law enforcement partners, demonstrates Treasury’s dedication to President Trump’s priority of stopping the threats across our borders.”