A U.S. indictment‚ made public on 10/16/2024 in Washington D.C‚ alleges that Miguel Angel Treviño Morales (known as “Zeta 40“) continues to manage the Northeast Cartel from inside a Mexican jail. Treviño Morales a key figure in the now-defunct Zetas cartel has been behind bars for about 11 years
The Northeast Cartel emerged as a successor to the Zetas‚ which disintegrated after its top leaders demise. Treviño Morales and his brother Omar (jailed roughly 9 years ago) reportedly established this new organization‚ relying on family members for day-to-day operations
This revelation highlights the poor security in Mexican prisons‚ where inmates often have unsupervised meetings with lawyers and relatives; enabling them to communicate with the outside world. The brothers renamed their group to “Cartel Del Noreste“ or CDN and maintained control despite their incarceration
The indictment accuses the Treviño brothers of various offenses including drug trafficking conspiracy and money laundering. While the U.S. has sought Miguel Angel Treviño Morales extradition‚ legal challenges have delayed the process for about a decade. Mexican drug lords typically resist extradition‚ partly because they can continue running their gangs from Mexican jails
Two years ago‚ Juan Gerardo Treviño (alias “El Huevo“) a relative who allegedly managed CDNʼs daily operations‚ was caught and sent to the U.S. due to his apparent American citizenship. The CDN dominates Nuevo Laredo‚ across from Laredo Texas‚ and is known for its ruthless violence. Last week‚ they killed a soldier in a shootout
U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza stated‚ “For decades these individuals have controlled one of the most violent drug organizations in Mexico‚ committing and directing the commission of horrible atrocities against our neighbors‚ the people of Mexico‚ and also in the United States“