An indictment unsealed in the District of Columbia alleges that the leader of one of Mexico's most violent gangs, Miguel Angel Treviño Morales, continued to operate an offshoot group, the Northeast Cartel, from inside a Mexican prison. Treviño Morales, also known as 'Zeta 40,' was a key figure in the notorious Zetas cartel and has been incarcerated since his arrest in 2013.
Following the demise of the Zetas' original leadership in 2012, the indictment asserts that Treviño Morales and his brother Omar established the Northeast Cartel as a successor organization. The brothers purportedly enlisted relatives to oversee the day-to-day activities of the new gang.
The accusations highlight concerns about security in Mexican prisons, where inmates can conduct meetings with minimal supervision, potentially enabling communication with the outside world. The indictment states that the defendants rebranded the Zetas as the 'Cartel Del Noreste' (CDN) and retained control over the organization even after their imprisonment.
The indictment charges the Treviño Morales brothers with drug-related offenses, conspiracy, money laundering, and criminal enterprise, carrying potential life sentences. The US government has sought Miguel Angel Treviño Morales' extradition, a process delayed by legal challenges for nearly a decade.
In a recent development, Juan Gerardo Treviño, a relative accused of managing the CDN's operations, was apprehended and deported to the US due to his American citizenship, bypassing the extradition process. The CDN cartel, based in Nuevo Laredo near the Texas border, has a reputation for extreme violence, including attacks on military personnel.
President Claudia Sheinbaum highlighted Nuevo Laredo as a hotspot for criminal activity, particularly targeting security forces. US Attorney Jaime Esparza condemned the Treviño Morales brothers for their alleged involvement in heinous crimes, emphasizing the impact on both Mexican and American communities.
The ongoing saga underscores the challenges posed by transnational criminal organizations and the complexities of law enforcement cooperation across borders.
