Two former leaders of the Los Zetas cartel, Miguel Treviño Morales (52) and Omar Treviño Morales (48), were arraigned in Washington, D.C., on serious charges including operating a continuing criminal enterprise. The charges encompass drug trafficking, murder conspiracies, firearms offenses, and money laundering, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
The Justice Department revealed that Miguel Treviño Morales took control of Los Zetas in October 2012, following the arrest of the cartel’s original leader, until his own arrest by Mexican authorities in 2013. After his brother’s arrest, Omar Treviño Morales took over leadership of the cartel and continued its illicit activities until his capture in 2015.
Following their arrests, the brothers allegedly rebranded the cartel, renaming it Cartel del Noreste (CDN), and maintained control of the organization while incarcerated in Mexico. The Justice Department stated that CDN continued to engage in Los Zetas’ criminal enterprises, including drug trafficking, kidnappings, assassinations, and torture.
In a recent designation by the U.S. Department of State, CDN was declared a foreign terrorist organization on February 20, 2025. The brothers now face charges for continuing a criminal enterprise, conspiracy to distribute cocaine and marijuana, firearms trafficking, and international money laundering. The U.S. has long sought their extradition.
Mexican authorities transferred the Treviño brothers to U.S. custody on February 27, 2025, as part of a continued push by the U.S. to dismantle Mexican drug cartels. The Justice Department warned that both men could face life imprisonment or even the death penalty if convicted.
