MEXICO CITY — An indictment that was revealed this past Wednesday in the District of Columbia outlines serious allegations against the leader of one of Mexico’s most notorious gangs, who is said to have continued managing an offshoot known as the Northeast Cartel while incarcerated in a Mexican prison.

Known as Miguel Angel Treviño Morales, or “Zeta 40,” he was a founding member and the leader of the infamous Zetas cartel. Since his arrest in 2013, he has been behind bars.

The Zetas once instilled fear across Mexico through unparalleled violence, which effectively unraveled following the elimination of its other key leader in 2012.

According to the indictment, Treviño Morales, along with his brother Omar—who was detained in 2015—established the Northeast Cartel as a successor to the Zetas cartel. They reportedly enlisted family members to oversee the cartel’s daily operations.

These allegations highlight a concerning issue regarding the security of Mexican prisons, where inmates often manage to conduct numerous unsupervised meetings with lawyers and relatives, which facilitates the transmission of messages outside.

The indictment notes that the Zetas were rebranded as the “Cartel Del Noreste” (CDN), asserting that the Treviño Morales brothers “continued to control the Cartel and appointed various family members to manage the CDN following their imprisonment.” The indictment includes charges of drug trafficking, conspiracy, money laundering, and operating a criminal enterprise, all of which could lead to life sentences.

The U.S. has sought the extradition of Miguel Angel Treviño Morales for nearly a decade, though this process has been stalled due to ongoing court appeals.

Typically, drug lords in Mexico vigorously oppose extradition because imprisonment in Mexico allows them to maintain influence over their organizations.

In 2022, a relative tasked with managing the CDN’s daily affairs, Juan Gerardo Treviño—also referred to as “El Huevo” or “The Egg”—was apprehended and sent to the United States due to his U.S. citizenship, thereby avoiding the lengthy extradition process.

The CDN cartel exerts control over Nuevo Laredo, a city positioned along the U.S.-Mexico border opposite Laredo, Texas.

Much like their predecessors, the Zetas, the Northeast Cartel is known for its brutality, frequently launching violent attacks against military patrols. Just last week, a soldier lost his life during a skirmish in the area.

Claudia Sheinbaum, the President of Mexico, noted earlier this week that “Nuevo Laredo is where criminal groups have executed the most assaults on the army and the National Guard.”

U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza from the Western District of Texas stated that the Treviño Morales brothers have perpetrated “horrible atrocities.” He emphasized that “for decades, these individuals have overseen one of the most violent drug organizations in Mexico, committing and orchestrating terrible acts against our neighbors, the people of Mexico, and also in the United States.”