Codefront awarded major contracts to company linked to Northeast Cartel

The Nuevo León government, through the Border Zone Development Corporation (Codefront), has awarded significant contracts to Construcciones y Edificaciones Garza Elías (Cegesa), a company accused by the U.S. Department of the Treasury of laundering money for the Northeast Cartel (CDN).

Between 2022 and 2024, Cegesa and its associated providers, including Asfaltos y Concretos and Francisco Muñoz García, received hundreds of millions of pesos in contracts. Documentation shows Cegesa alone had received approximately 624.5 million pesos from Codefront through 2025. These funds were primarily directed toward infrastructure projects at the Colombia International Bridge facilities in the municipality of Anáhuac, including the construction of access lanes, booths, and facade improvements.

The U.S. Treasury alleges that Cegesa has been used by the Northeast Cartel to channel funds toward political campaigns. Marco Antonio González, who served as the director general of Codefront during the signing of these agreements and currently serves as the Secretary of Regional and Agricultural Development, stated that there were no indications of irregularities when the company was initially contracted.