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\n\tThe U.S. Treasury<\/a> Department has accused Mexican rapper El Makabelico of using his concert and streaming revenue to launder money for a cartel<\/a>. On Wednesday, the government agency announced<\/a> sanctions on the musician, born Ricardo Hernandez Medrano, for allegedly being a \u201cprominent associate\u201d of Cartel del Noreste.<\/p>\n \n\tIn a Wednesday press release, the Treasury\u2019s Office of Foreign Assets Control accused El Makabelico, who frequently raps about narcoculture and CDN specifically, of working with the criminal organization previously known as Los Zetas, one of the \u201cmost violent drug trafficking organizations,\u201d by laundering money for it and also allegedly giving half of his streaming royalties to the group. <\/p>\n \n\t\u201cCDN depends on these alternative revenue streams and money laundering methods to boost their criminal enterprise, diversifying their income beyond criminal activity like drug trafficking, human smuggling, and extortion,\u201d reads the release from the government organization. His designation by the Treasury Department are \u201cfor being owned, controlled, or directed by, or having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, CDN.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tHernandez\u2019s U.S. interests and property are now being blocked, and people in the United States will not be able to do business with him, or could face violations leading to civil and\/or criminal penalties. The rapper has over 3 million monthly listeners on Spotify, and boasts over 30 million streams on songs such as \u201cEl Sobrino,\u201d \u201cEl Two Six,\u201d and \u201cFuerzas Especiales Minimi,\u201d in which he directly shouts out CDN.<\/p>\n \n\tEl Makabelico appears to be signed to Del Records, the same label whose CEO, \u00c1ngel Del Villar<\/a>, was convicted<\/a> on federal charges of working with a concert promoter linked to cartels in Mexico. Del Villar is set to be sentenced later this month and could face more than six years in prison, along with a large fine.<\/p>\n