Treviño Morales brothers arrive at US hearing with powerful legal team

CHAR 

JUNE 12, 2025 

MILENIO 

VIDEO TRANSLATION 

In the United States, the second hearing of the Miguel Ángel  and Omar Treviño Morales brothers, the leaders and founders of the ZETAS Cartel, was held today. They showed their muscle and the amount of money they have to pay for their defense. We have already told you about the Dream Team here. Nine lawyers were sitting there defending them. 

This report is from my colleague Ángel Hernández. In the federal court in Washington, the second hearing was held against Miguel Ángel Treviño Morales, alias "El Z40," accused of drug trafficking along with his brother, Omar "El Z42," who did not appear due to scheduling complications. 

Minutes before 11:00 a.m., the chains that bind him could be heard in the courtroom. Treviño arrived accompanied by Alfredo Rangel, alias "El Chicles," former plaza boss of the criminal group in Miguel Alemán, Tamaulipas. "El Z40" was dressed in a white shirt, blue overalls, glasses, and his hair was almost A shaved head, as well as a growing beard, shook hands with his lawyers and then, notebook in hand, listened to the judge, the prosecutor, and his defense attorneys. 

Alfredo Rangel, dressed in orange and also wearing glasses, paid equal attention. The nine people who formed part of the Treviño brothers' legal team stood out in front of the three representatives of the U.S. Attorney's Office, led by Frank Pérez, Eduardo Balareso, lawyers also for Ismael Zambada García, El Mayo, and a former lawyer for Joaquín Guzmán Loera, El Chapo. They completely filled the defendants' table. Prosecutor Kenneth Hendrick presented the status of the evidence in the case: 490,000 intercepted calls, transcripts, summaries of information, and other evidence, a total of 4.9 million files that are part of the investigation in Houston, plus another wealth of evidence that the offices of Dallas and Laredo, in addition to the Mexican government, have not yet filed a complaint. 

The judge determined that the third hearing will be on October 14, once the prosecution decides whether it will seek the death penalty against the defendants. He announced that he is preparing motions to demonstrate a potential conflict of interest for Eduardo Balareso, one of the Z40 lawyers, as he is the legal representative of another co-defendant in the case. This is Gilberto Barragán Valderas, alias the former Gulf Cartel leader who was extradited to the United States in 2020. In response, the lawyer denied that he had a conflict of interest and warned that he should demand an explanation as to how Mexico handed the Treviño brothers over to the United States last February because it was clearly not an extradition. According to Milenio Noticias, Ángel Hernández

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Cartel Del Noreste Official Statement On Violent Events Of February 3, 2025, That Took Place In Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas. C.D.N. Distance Themselves From Threats Made Against DEA In Laredo, Texas.

 "Char" for Borderland Beat 

February 4, 2025 

BY: CHAR 

The hyperviolent Cartel Del Noreste, or Cartel of the Northeast, published a video making an official statement about the violent events that occurred early Monday, February 4, 2025. The capture of Ricardo Gonzalez Sauceda, "Mando Ricky" regional chief of C.D.N. with influence in Nuevo Laredo, Nuevo Leon, and Coahuila, led to violent clashes with C.D.N. forces attacking military personnel including an attempted shooting down an army helicopter. 

RICARDO GONZALEZ SAUCEDA

"MANDO RICKY"

The Cartel Del Noreste is currently led by Juan Cisneros Treviño, "La Sombra" nephew of Miguel Angel Treviño Morales "40" and Oscar Omar Treviño Morales "42" founders of the C.D.N. criminal organization. 

C.D.N. FEBRUARY 4, 2025 

VIDEO TRANSLATION

BY: SOL PRENDIDO

This communique goes out to the citizens and authorities of Nuevo Laredo. The Northeast Cartel informs the public that it is completely false that there is a curfew in the city, as has been reported on social media. 

We also categorically deny any threat to the DEA in Laredo, Texas, federal and state authorities in Mexico, or the US. The recent events in the city are the result of clashes resulting from operations carried out by the authorities. 

They don’t represent premeditated attacks against them. We call on the population to remain calm and to continue with their daily activities as usual. It is essential to avoid spreading false information that only seeks to sow fear and confusion in the community. 

We reiterate to the population that they can continue with their daily lives with peace of mind. We urge everyone not to fall for rumors that only seek to generate confusion and panic in our society. 

Sincerely, The Northeast Cartel

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BREAKING NEWS & LIVE THREAD: Ricardo Gonzalez "Mando R" "Ricky" Regional Leader And Founder Of Los Chukys Armed Wing Of Cartel Del Noreste Captured By Federal Forces In Nuevo Laredo, Tamps. Shootouts And Roadblocks This Monday Morning.

 Borderland Beat Contributors 

FEBRUARY 3, 2025 

The violent Ricardo Gonzalez, "Mando R" "Ricky" founder of the Los Chukys armed wing of Cartel Del Noreste and regional boss with a presence in Nuevo Leon was captured the morning this Monday, February 3, 2025, in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas. 

The Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection of Mexico Omar Garcia Harfuch stated, "In an operation led by 

@SEDENAmx

  together with the Security Cabinet 

@SEMAR_mx

 , 

@FGRMexico

, 

@GN_MEXICO_

 ,

@SSPCMexico

 in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, arrested Ricardo “N”, leader of a violence generating group that operates in Nuevo Leon, Tamaulipas, and Coahuila; he is linked to extortion and multiple attacks on police officers of Fuerza Civil of Nuevo Leon. 

@SSeguridadNL

. In August 2024, he participated and coordinated criminal cells to attack military personnel in Nuevo Laredo, where five members were wounded and two more were killed. He has arrest warrants for homicide and illegal deprivation of liberty.

Our recognition to the military personnel of the Special Forces of 

@SEDENAmx

 for this operation". 

SHOOTOUTS AND ROADBLOCKS REPORTED IN NUEVO LAREDO, TAMAULIPAS 

VIDEOS FROM ZULU OF TELEGRAM

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FGR Admits Confusion In “Z40” Case: Miguel Angel Treviño's Lawyer; “My Client Is A Homonym”, He Assures

 "Char" for Borderland Beat 

This article was translated and reposted from EL UNIVERSAL 

Miguel Ángel Treviño Morales has been deprived of his freedom for eleven years without any conviction.

WRITTEN BY: MANUEL ESPINO

NOVEMBER 11, 2024

Eleven judges reached the same decision: Miguel Ángel Treviño Morales is not “El Z40” that the authorities are looking for, emphasized Juan Manuel Delgado, lawyer for Treviño Morales, who has been in prison for eleven years without any conviction.

The litigant affirmed that the Attorney General's Office (FGR) proved that there is a person named Miguel Angel Treviño Morales, with the alias “Z40” and that he is the leader of “Los Zetas”, but it was proven that his client is a homonym.

He recalled that there were more than 10 protected witnesses who testified against his defendant, three of whom, when confronted by his defendant Miguel Ángel Treviño Morales, stated that they did know “Z40”, Miguel Ángel Treviño Morales, but that the person who was in front of them was not “Z40”.

“Of the entire universe of collaborating witnesses that the Attorney General's Office brought, absolutely all of them coincide in describing Z40 with the same name as my client, Miguel Ángel Treviño Morales, as a person of 1 meter 80 centimeters, with a closed beard, but with very clear secondary identification characteristics:

“For example, everyone talks about him having a scar on his right parietal, a prolonged scar on his abdomen, a scar on his right arm, a very large tattoo on his chest, but those characteristics do not correspond to Mr. Miguel,” he said.

And he added: “If there are 10 protected witnesses to talk about a judicial error, we could understand that a judge could make a mistake, but that at the moment 11 judges have reached the same determination, I think it is beyond reasonable, the doubt, let's say for the general public, that there is an error in the identification of Z40, but what there is no doubt is that it is an established legal truth and against and against a legal truth, we will have to go against the rule of law itself to have it dismissed. Today it has already been accredited by the Judicial Power that it is not the one they are looking for or the one the United States is requesting”.

Attorney Juan Manuel Delgado assured that by means of expert evidence they accredited that his client, Mr. Miguel Angel Treviño Morales, “never had those tattoos or scars and we accredited that our client has never had those types of characteristics.

Therefore, he said, “as of today there is an irrefutable legal truth” that his client is not “El Z40”, even the litigant pointed out that the FGR has accepted in several replies sent to them that there is a confusion in the identity of his client.

Regarding the extradition process of his client, attorney Juan Manuel Delgado explained that no judicial opinion has been issued on the appropriateness of the transfer to the United States, the country that requires it.

He added that in the ten years he has been defending Mr. Miguel Angel Treviño Morales there has not been any conviction against him and a few months ago he obtained the last acquittal sentence for organized crime.

“We still have one more process pending resolution, which is the process derived from the arrest of Mr. Miguel Angel, which I must say is a process that although it is still under investigation, we are still weaving a defense, there is no sentence, it is a process that is plagued with lies and falsehoods”.

However, he emphasized that all the sentences that exist in Mexico against his defendant Miguel Angel Treviño Morales, are liberties, he has been in preventive prison for 11 years without a single conviction, he is not guilty of anything today and what is even more relevant is that today in Mexico he is not being accused of organized crime, nor is he being accused of being Z40, this is finished”.

SOURCE: EL UNIVERSAL 

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US Accuses Treviño Brothers "Z-40" & "Z-42" with Leading CDN Cartel from Prison

 "Socalj" for Borderland Beat

The last major leaders of the Los Zetas Cartel were imprisoned in Mexico over a decade ago.

Recent extraditions have all largely been those figures from the Sinaloa, CJNG and various other cartels across Mexico. Z-40, arrested in 2013, has still not been put on trial for any crimes in Mexico. He has been under preventive detention for over 10 years in Mexico. But US authorities accuse Miguel Angel "Z-40" Treviño-Morales and his brother of still running the cartel's remnants the Cartel Del Noreste or CDN from prison in mexico.

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11 Members Of 'Los Zetas' Sentenced To 50 Years In Prison In San Fernando, Tamaulipas, case

 "Char" for Borderland Beat 

This article was translated and reposted from LA JORNADA 

WRITTEN BY: GUSTAVO CASTILLO GARCIA 

AUGUST 21, 2024

Members of Los Zetas carried out two massacres of migrants, the first in 2010, when 72 victims were discovered. In the image, the “anti-monument” installed in the CDMX for the San Fernando case. Photo María Luisa Severiano / archi

The Special Prosecutor's Office for Organized Crime (FEMDO), in coordination with the Federal Prosecutor's Office in the state of Tamaulipas, obtained from the Second District Court for Federal Criminal Proceedings a conviction against 11 members of the Los Zetas Cartel for their responsibility in the crime of aggravated homicide committed against 122 migrants who were murdered in the municipality of San Fernando, Tamaulipas.

According to information from the Federal Judicial Power, the convicted were identified as Luis Manuel Salazar Sánchez, El Gordo Flow; Sergio Córdova Martínez, El Diablo; Samuel Moreno Saavedra, El Chiquilín; Erick Rubén Zetina Hernández, El Guacho; José Mauro Oñate Rodríguez, El Vegueta; Jhonny Torres Andrade, El Sombra; Juan Pablo Cabrera Escalante, El Cacharpas; Salvador Alfonso Martínez Escobedo, La Ardilla; Martín Omar Estrada de la Mora, El Kilo; Víctor Cuitláhuac Montoya Torres, El Comandante Degollado; and Elfego Cruz Martínez.

According to the records of the Attorney General's Office (FGR), in April 2012, the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office initiated an investigation against members of a criminal group for allegedly being responsible for the crime of aggravated homicide against 122 people, as the authority identified that they were responsible for getting off passenger transports in the municipality of San Fernando.

Subsequently, the bodies of the victims were found in several clandestine graves.

The accusations against this group of members of Los Zetas were made in 2015 and 2017.

The judge in the case ordered 50 years in prison for each of them.

Members of Los Zetas carried out two massacres of migrants, the first in 2010, when 72 victims were discovered, and in 2011 dozens of bodies were found buried in clandestine graves, bringing the total to 177, of which 122 cases remained under investigation by the FGR.

FOLLOW-UP        BY: CHAR 

SALVADOR ALFONSO MARTINEZ ESCOBEDO "LA ARDILLA" "COMANDANTE ARDILLA" 

• On OCTOBER 6, 2012, La Ardilla, or Comandante Ardilla is the former Los Zetas regional boss in Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon, and Coahuila, was captured by the secretariat of the Navy in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas. 
• La Ardilla is the mastermind of ordering the death of 72 migrants in San Fernando, Tamaulipas in August of 2010. 
• La Ardilla headed the conflict against the Gulf Cartel in Tamaulipas. 
• Comandante Ardilla was the trusted man and direct collaborator of Miguel Angel Treviño Morales "Z40". 

SOURCE: LA JORNADA 

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Breaking News:Judge Halts Extradition Of Former Los Zetas Leader 'Z-42' To The U.S.

 "Char" for Borderland Beat 

This article was translated and reposted from RIODOCE 

JULY 6, 2024

A federal judge has halted, for the time being, the extradition of Oscar Omar Treviño Morales, alias Z-42 considered a former leader of Los Zetas, to the United States.

According to El Universal, the defense of the former criminal leader filed an injunction against the extradition at the end of June before the head of the Fourth District Court for Criminal Matters, María del Carmen Sánchez Cisneros.

The judge granted an ex officio and outright suspension because "the extradition and departure of the plaintiff from the country is imminent.

Treviño Morales is wanted by the District Court of Columbia, in the United States, for drug trafficking.

Z-42 was arrested in March 2015 in San Pedro Garza García, Nuevo León, and is currently imprisoned in the Federal Center for Social Readaptation Number 12 "CPS-Guanajuato".

The former leader of Los Zetas is accused by federal authorities of the massacre of migrants in San Fernando, Tamaulipas, as well as the burning of the Casino Royale in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, among other acts of violence.

SOURCE: RIODOCE 

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Court Orders Miguel Trevino Morales "Z-40" to be transferred to Altiplano Supermax in Juarez

Translated for Borderland Beat from a Zetatijuana article by Otis B Fly-Wheel

After more than a year in Puente Grande, the narco trafficker Miguel Trevino will return to Almoloya otherwise known as Altiplano SuperMax.

Z-40

Judges of the Appeal Court in Criminal Matters of the Second Circuit ordered the return of the former leader of the criminal group Los Zetas, Miguel Angel Tevino Morales "Z-40", from the Maximum Security Prison Puente Grande, Jalisco, to the Maximum Security "Altiplano" in Almoloya, Juarez.

This provision stems from the judgement of the amparo in review, lodged by the drug trafficker from Tamaulipas, who complained of his transfer from Federal Prison the authorities carried out on December 19th 2013, when he was transferred from CEFERESO number 1 in the State of Mexico to number 2 in Jalisco.

When the inmate claimed the protection of the Federal Court arguing that most of its criminal proceedings are heard in State District Courts. The Second Judge of the District in specialized matter, located in Toluca denied the amparo because " it is a fait accompli irreparably."

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