Less than 24 hours after being sanctioned by the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), Ricardo Hernández Medrano, also known as El Makabelico, had his YouTube account shut down as U.S. authorities allege the Mexican rapper plays a key role in the criminal operations of the Cartel del Noreste (CDN).
OFAC announced on Wednesday sanctions against four individuals, including Hernández, accusing them of aiding the cartel's drug trafficking, extortion, and money laundering efforts.
According to U.S. officials, the cartel launders money through El Makabelico's concerts and public appearances. They also claim that up to 50 percent of his streaming royalties from platforms like Spotify and Apple Music are funneled directly to the criminal organization.
"CDN depends on these alternative revenue streams and money laundering methods to boost their criminal enterprise, diversifying their income beyond activities like drug trafficking, human smuggling, and extortion," the Treasury Department said in a statement.
In response to his alleged ties to the cartel, YouTube terminated El Makabelico's account, saying the platform is committed to following U.S. law.
"YouTube is committed to complying with applicable laws, including U.S. sanctions laws, under our Terms of Service policies. In line with these policies, we have terminated the YouTube channels associated with the sanctions announced today by the U.S. Department of the Treasury," a company spokesperson told Mexican news outlet Milenio.
YouTube also confirmed that all channels directly linked to Hernández had been removed.
Who is El Makabelico?
Known for his enigmatic image and fusion of regional Mexican music with rap, El Makabelico began his music career more than a decade ago under the name Nectar Lima.
From the beginning, Hernández was known for lyrics centered on drug trafficking, often composing songs for criminal groups such as the Cartel del Noreste and some of its high-ranking members.
In 2017, he signed with California-based DEL Records, marking the start of his rise in the Mexican rap scene.
DEL Records is also under scrutiny by U.S. authorities. The label's CEO, José Ángel del Villar, is awaiting sentencing in connection to a series of concerts headlined by his client, Gerardo Ortiz, in collaboration with a Mexican company flagged by the U.S. Treasury for laundering money for the Jalisco Cartel.
As Milenio reported, El Makabelico's official YouTube channel had more than 2 million subscribers, and many of his videos had millions of views. Although his channel was taken down, some of his music remains on the platform through the official account of DEL Records.
Cártel del Noreste
Formed as a splinter group of Los Zetas after the arrests of several high-ranking members, the Cártel del Noreste has become one of the most prominent criminal organizations operating in the Mexican states of Tamaulipas, Coahuila and Nuevo León. The group is known for drug and arms trafficking, as well as kidnappings and extortion.
According to InSight Crime, the CDN has worked in recent years to expand its territorial control into neighboring states. Since at least 2019, the cartel has been involved in violent conflicts with rival splinter groups from Los Zetas, along with factions of the Sinaloa Cartel, the Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), and other independent criminal organizations.
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