▁pending ▁criminal ▁investig ations ▁for ▁hom ic ide , ▁kid n apping , ▁ext ort ion , ▁and ▁drug ▁tra ff ick ing ▁accus ations . ▁ ▁King pin ▁Act ▁san ction ▁On ▁ 2 4 ▁March ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Department ▁of ▁the ▁Tre as ury ▁san ction ed ▁M ell ado ▁Cruz ▁under ▁the ▁Foreign ▁N arc ot ics ▁King pin ▁Design ation ▁Act ▁( s ometimes ▁referred ▁to ▁simply ▁as ▁the ▁" K ing pin ▁Act "), ▁for ▁his ▁invol vement ▁in ▁drug ▁tra ff ick ing ▁along ▁with ▁fifty - three ▁other ▁international ▁crim inals ▁and ▁ten ▁foreign ▁entities . ▁The ▁act ▁prohib ited ▁U . S . ▁citizens ▁and ▁companies ▁from ▁doing ▁any ▁kind ▁of ▁business ▁activity ▁with ▁him , ▁and ▁virt ually ▁fro ze ▁all ▁his ▁assets ▁in ▁the ▁U . S . ▁ ▁Death ▁On ▁ 9 ▁May ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁M ell ado ▁Cruz ▁was ▁killed ▁in ▁a ▁shoot out ▁against ▁Mexican ▁federal ▁security ▁forces ▁at ▁a ▁dom icile ▁in ▁Las ▁Fu entes ▁neighborhood ▁in ▁Reyn osa , ▁T ama ul ip as . ▁During ▁the ▁fire f ight , ▁gr en ades ▁det on ated ▁and ▁sh ots ▁were ▁ex changed ▁between ▁law ▁enfor cement ▁and ▁M ell ado ▁Cruz ' s ▁a ides . ▁G ulf ▁Cart el ▁gun men ▁set ▁road block s ▁and ▁threw ▁road ▁sp ikes ▁throughout ▁Reyn osa ' s ▁streets ▁to ▁prevent ▁the ▁mobil ization ▁of ▁rein for c ements