The United States and Mexico have jointly imposed sweeping sanctions against a network of gambling businesses and individuals accused of laundering drug cartel proceeds through casinos and restaurants across Mexico, Canada and Europe.
The U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) said they acted in coordination with Mexican authorities to target the Hysa Organized Crime Group (HOCG) — a family-run enterprise alleged to have laundered millions of dollars from narcotics trafficking in partnership with the Sinaloa Cartel.
The sanctions freeze all assets of those named within U.S. jurisdiction and prohibit American citizens and companies from engaging in transactions with them. FinCEN also proposed measures to cut off several Mexico-based gambling venues from the U.S. financial system due to money-laundering risks.
Hysa’s past denial
The development follows earlier denials by Luftar Hysa, an Albanian-born businessman living in Mexico, who in a 2022 interview with television program Opinion rejected reports linking him to organized crime.
Hysa described the allegations as “false attacks” orchestrated by competitors, insisting he was a legitimate entrepreneur with no criminal ties.
“It’s not the first time I’ve been attacked,” Hysa said. “If these accusations were true, Interpol would have issued a warrant for me by now. I’m a businessman, not a criminal. My only wealth is my charisma and my intelligence.”
From Albania to Mexico
Hysa said he left Albania in 1998, first moving to South Africa, then Peru, before settling in Mexico in 2004, where he entered the gambling and restaurant industries.
“I went to Mexico in March 2004 and have operated there ever since,” he said. “I became a Mexican citizen in 2016. My family lives in Canada, where I am also a resident.”
He claimed to co-own more than ten businesses across Mexico with his brother, including casinos, restaurants and bars.
Denies links to Sinaloa cartel
Asked about reports tying him to Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, a leader of the Sinaloa cartel, Hysa denied any connection.
“I don’t know El Mayo. I’ve never met him. I do legal business,” he said.
He attributed his name’s appearance in earlier criminal reports to a case of mistaken identity, saying authorities had confused him with another Albanian of the same name wanted by Interpol in 2010.
“Opponents used that case against me. Two years ago, there was even an anonymous complaint filed in Mexico, but authorities dismissed it,” he said.
No link to Panama Papers, he says
Hysa also denied any connection to the Panama Papers, saying he had “no business in Panama” and that a company once registered under his name had been closed in 2006.
In Albania, he confirmed being a minority shareholder in Marina Casino in Vlora, holding just one percent of the shares.
“I’ve never been convicted”
Hysa emphasized that he and his relatives have never faced criminal charges.
“Wherever we go, to get a license we must pass all legal checks. I have never been tried or convicted — neither I, nor my brothers, nor my workers,” he said.
He said he met Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama once through a Scottish acquaintance and denied having any political or financial connections with government officials.
Plans to stay abroad
Hysa said he plans to continue expanding his businesses in Mexico and Belize and has no intention of returning to Albania.
“In two months, we will open a new restaurant in Tulum,” he said.
Despite the new sanctions naming companies allegedly under his family’s control, Hysa has long maintained that he is the victim of false accusations.
“These are dirty games,” he said in 2022. “The only thing I’ve ever dealt in is legal enterprise.”