Home » » US Extradition of 'Z-40,' Former Zetas Leader, Suspended by Federal Judge
Borderland Beat Contributors
A Mexican federal judge approved a motion preventing the US extradition of former Zetas leader Miguel Ángel Treviño Morales, also known as El Z-40.Although Z40 was arrested in Mexico over 10 years ago, authorities have been unable to extradite him to the U.S. His extradition process has been filled with motions, suspensions, and delays.
Following his departure from the Federal Social Readaptation Center No. 1 ("Altiplano"), Mexico's maximum-security prison,Z40was relocated to another facility in Tepic, Nayarit, last week. As per court records,Z40faces charges related to mass killings in San Fernando, Tamaulipas, and Allende, Coahuila. In the US, he is wanted for international drug trafficking as the former head of Los Zetas.
IfZ40is extradited to the US, he would be the highest-ranking Zetas member to stand trial in the US. Notable figures in this regard include early Zetas members Jaime Gonzalez Duran (alias El Hummer) andJesus Enrique Rejon Aguilar (alias El Mamito), and Z40's relativesJuan Francisco Treviño Jr. (alias El Kiko) andJuan Gerardo Trevino Chavez (alias El Huevo).
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| Miguel Angel Trevino Morales, alias Z-40 or Zeta 40 (image credit: HEARST) |
Background
According to the DEA's website, which has not been updated hisarrest in Mexico,Z40led a Zetas faction with control over more than 200 operatives. His responsibilities included overseeing the collection of "tariffs" (piso) at drug plazas managed by the former co-organization of the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas in Mexico.
During the period from 2006 to 2007,Z40served as the Nuevo Laredo plaza boss, subsequently being assigned to the state of Veracruz, in March 2007 following the death of Efrain Teodoro Torres (alias El Efra or Z-14).
Z40was reputedly involved in smuggling multi-hundred kilogram loads of cocaine weekly from Mexico to the United States and facilitated the trafficking of cocaine through Guatemala to the United States. He faces charges in a 2008 Federal indictment in the District of Columbia.
Z40was arrested in July 2013 and has been in extradition hearings ever since.
Various members ofZ40's family became entangled in criminal activities. His brother Omar Alejandro Treviño Morales (alias "Z-42") was a high-ranking Zetas leader; his brother José was implicated in laundering money for Los Zetas in the United States, utilizing a horse-breeding company as a front. Jose's activities were exposed and resulted in their capture following a raid on US territory in 2012.
IfZ40is extradited, hemay be advised by his attorneys to cooperate with and provide cartel intel to US federal authorities for a soother sentence and avoid life in prison. However,Z40was arrested over a decade ago and the information he has on cartels may not be as valuable for US investigators anymore. This may mean that his chances of receiving leniency are likely lower than other Zetas leaders who testified in US courtrooms before him.
Imprisonment in Mexico
In October 2016, prison officials got word that Z40 and his brother Z42 were planning to escape from Altiplano, the prison they were currently held in. Their plan involved creating an "artificial operation" (likely a prison riot) that distracted some of the guards while other corrupted guards opened the main door of the prison so the brothers could simply walk out.
Later in 2016, in Altiplano prison, Z40 allegedly encountered Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) figure José Bernabé Brizuela Meraz, alias "La Vaca", another inmate.
Z40 and La Vaca, evidently, did not get along and their friction led to Z40 threatening to kill Vaca. Vaca took this threat seriously, informing his relatives and subordinates about Z40's words. Luckily for La Vaca though, Z40 was transferred out of Altiplano in May 2017 - before he got a chance to kill La Vaca. But the threat still hung heavy over La Vaca - he knew that inmates loyal to Z40 would still have it out for him.
In December 2019, hitmen loyal to Z40 attempted to stop his prison transfer convoy as it traveled on highway 175 through Oaxaca. Their attack left a State Investigation Agency (AEI) captain dead but failed to free Z40.
These incidents above, and others not mentioned in this report, have worried some Mexican authorities that Z40 could potentially escape from prison.He has been transferred between the various federal prisons in Mexico several times, as part of "a precautionary inmate rotation program."
FAQs
He is wanted by the United States, but due to the shaky US-Mexico relationship surrounding extradition, he was not sent to face justice in the United States. He is currently incarcerated at a federal prison in Michoacán.
Are the Los Zetas still active today? ›
The most prominent offshoots of this fragmentation are the Northeast Cartel (Cartel Del Noreste), which continues to operate in Nuevo Laredo and northern Veracruz, and the Old School Zetas (Los Zetas Vieja Escuela, ZVE), who are active in Tamaulipas and southern Veracruz.
Who was the leader of the Zetas caught? ›
A major blow to has been dealt to the Zetas drug cartel in Mexico. On Monday, Mexican naval special forces captured that group's leader: Miguel Angel Trevino Morales, known by his street name Z-40. A major blow to has been dealt to the Zetas drug cartel in Mexico.
Is Los Zetas the worst cartel? ›
Los Zetas (pronounced [los ˈsetas], Spanish for "The Zs") was a Mexican criminal syndicate, known as one of the most dangerous of Mexico's drug cartels. They are known for engaging in brutally violent "shock and awe" tactics such as beheadings, torture, and indiscriminate murder.
Where is the Los Zetas cartel located? ›
The city of Nuevo Laredo is home of the Zetas. During the peak of cartel violence in Tamaulipas, infighting among different Zetas cells contending over the cartel's supremacy chastised the city. In 2012, violence in Nuevo Laredo reached unprecedented levels.
What cartels are still active? ›
The 5 Most Powerful Drug Cartels in the World
- Sinaloa Cartel.
- Medellin Cartel.
- Gulf Cartel.
- Los Zetas.
- Juarez Cartel.
The split of Los Zetas began in 2010 when a regional leader of the organization disobeyed orders and killed nearly 200 people in the northeastern Mexican city of San Fernando, Tamaulipas.
What is the biggest cartel in the world? ›
The Sinaloa Cartel (Spanish: Cártel de Sinaloa, CDS, after the native Sinaloa region), also known as the Guzmán-Zambada Organization, the Federation, the Blood Alliance, or the Pacific Cartel, is a large, international organized crime syndicate based in the city of Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico that specializes in illegal ...
What cartel runs Cancun, Mexico? ›
The Juárez cartel has been found to operate in 21 Mexican states. Its principal bases are Culiacán, Monterrey, Ciudad Juárez, Ojinaga, Mexico City, Guadalajara, Cuernavaca and Cancún.
Who was the most violent cartel leader? ›
Under Treviño Morales' leadership, Los Zetas were considered by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to be highly sophisticated, advanced, and one of the most dangerous criminal organizations operating in Mexico and the hemisphere. He was widely regarded as one of the most violent drug lords operating in Mexico.
Allies and Enemies
However, two things generally remain the same: their rivalry with their former parent organization, the Gulf Cartel, and their rivalry with the Sinaloa Cartel. Nevertheless, even this may be changing in the Zetas' current fragmented state, where alliances and disputes are more localized.
Who are the Zetas brothers? ›
He is the brother of the former Zetas leaders Omar Treviño Morales (alias Z-42) and Miguel Treviño Morales (alias Z-40).
What is the most feared cartel in Mexico? ›
The Sinaloa Cartel, considered the largest and most powerful drug trafficking organization in the Western Hemisphere, is a network of some of Mexico's most important drug lords. Members work together to protect themselves.
What are the scariest Mexican cartels? ›
Los Zetas, originally founded by Mexican special forces deserters, some with US training, started as the enforcement arm of the Gulf Cartel, a crime group from northeastern Mexico, before breaking away. While Los Zetas has itself fragmented, it was known for torture, beheadings and massacres of civilians.
What is El Mencho's net worth? ›
The government estimates that El Mencho's group has about US$50 billion in total assets. This success was shared with Abigael González Valencia, his brother-in-law, who headed a drug trafficking group known as Los Cuinis, allied to the CJNG. Abigael was arrested by the Mexican Navy on 28 February 2015.
Who killed Lazcano? ›
Lazcano died in a shootout with the Mexican Navy on 7 October 2012. After his death, his body was taken from the funeral home by an armed gang.
How did Los Zetas end? ›
Los Zetas were successfully dealt with (disarticulated) by the Mexican government (armed forces mainly). They caught too much attention after several terrorist attacks.
What cartel is in Jalisco? ›
background: WHERE DID THE Jalisco New Generation Cartel COME FROM? The CJNG originally emerged around 2009-2010 as the armed faction of the Sinaloa Cartel. The group was initially formed to counter rivals like Los Zetas, as well as to safeguard Sinaloa's interests.
Who runs the Sinaloa cartel? ›
After the arrest of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán and his son Ovidio Guzmán López in 2016 and 2023 respectively, the cartel is headed by old-school leader Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada and Guzmán's other sons, Jesús Alfredo Guzmán and Ivan Archivaldo Guzmán Salazar.
