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| Mexico captures Zetas leader Miguel Angel Treviño Morales, known as Z-40 | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Miguel Angel Treviño Morales, the notoriously brutal leader of the feared Zetas drug cartel, has been captured, a US federal official has confirmed. It represents the first major blow against an organised crime leader by a Mexican administration struggling to drive down persistently high levels of violence. | Miguel Angel Treviño Morales, the notoriously brutal leader of the feared Zetas drug cartel, has been captured, a US federal official has confirmed. It represents the first major blow against an organised crime leader by a Mexican administration struggling to drive down persistently high levels of violence. |
| Treviño Morales, known as Z-40, was captured by Mexican marines in Nuevo Laredo, the Mexican media reported. The US official who confirmed the media reports was not authorised to speak to the press and asked not to be identified. | Treviño Morales, known as Z-40, was captured by Mexican marines in Nuevo Laredo, the Mexican media reported. The US official who confirmed the media reports was not authorised to speak to the press and asked not to be identified. |
| Treviño's capture removes the leader of a corps of special forces defectors who splintered off into their own cartel and spread across Mexico, expanding from drug dealing into extortion and human trafficking. | Treviño's capture removes the leader of a corps of special forces defectors who splintered off into their own cartel and spread across Mexico, expanding from drug dealing into extortion and human trafficking. |
| Along the way the Zetas authored some of the worst atrocities of Mexico's drug war, slaughtering dozens, leaving their bodies on display and gaining a reputation as perhaps the most terrifying of the country's numerous ruthless cartels. | Along the way the Zetas authored some of the worst atrocities of Mexico's drug war, slaughtering dozens, leaving their bodies on display and gaining a reputation as perhaps the most terrifying of the country's numerous ruthless cartels. |
| The capture of Treviño Morales is a public relations victory for President Enrique Peña Nieto, who came into office promising to drive down levels of homicide, extortion and kidnapping but has struggled to make a credible dent in crime figures. | The capture of Treviño Morales is a public relations victory for President Enrique Peña Nieto, who came into office promising to drive down levels of homicide, extortion and kidnapping but has struggled to make a credible dent in crime figures. |
| At the same time Peña Nieto's pledge to focus on citizen safety over other crimes sparked worries among US authorities that he would ease back on their joint strategy targeting the leadership of drug cartels. The arrest of Treviño, a man widely blamed for both massive northbound drug trafficking and the deaths of untold scores of Mexicans and central American migrants, will almost certainly earn praise from Peña Nieto's US and Mexican critics alike. | At the same time Peña Nieto's pledge to focus on citizen safety over other crimes sparked worries among US authorities that he would ease back on their joint strategy targeting the leadership of drug cartels. The arrest of Treviño, a man widely blamed for both massive northbound drug trafficking and the deaths of untold scores of Mexicans and central American migrants, will almost certainly earn praise from Peña Nieto's US and Mexican critics alike. |
| Treviño Morales' rise from the streets of Nuevo Laredo to the top of Mexico's drug trafficking world was fuelled by a brutality that stunned a population inured to violence. | Treviño Morales' rise from the streets of Nuevo Laredo to the top of Mexico's drug trafficking world was fuelled by a brutality that stunned a population inured to violence. |
| He began his career as a teenager with the Los Tejas gang, which controlled most crime in his hometown across the border from Laredo, Texas. He soon graduated from washing cars and running errands to running drugs across the border, and was recruited into the Matamoros-based Gulf cartel, which absorbed Los Tejas when it took over drug dealing in the valuable border territory. | He began his career as a teenager with the Los Tejas gang, which controlled most crime in his hometown across the border from Laredo, Texas. He soon graduated from washing cars and running errands to running drugs across the border, and was recruited into the Matamoros-based Gulf cartel, which absorbed Los Tejas when it took over drug dealing in the valuable border territory. |
| Treviño Morales joined the Zetas, a group of Mexican special forces deserters who defected to work as hit men and bodyguards for the Gulf cartel in the late 1990s. | Treviño Morales joined the Zetas, a group of Mexican special forces deserters who defected to work as hit men and bodyguards for the Gulf cartel in the late 1990s. |
| Stories about the brutality of El Cuarenta, or 40 as Treviño Morales became known, quickly became well known among his men, his rivals and Nuevo Laredo citizens terrified of incurring his anger. "If you get called to a meeting with him, you're not going to come out of that meeting," said a US law-enforcement official in Mexico City, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the topic. | Stories about the brutality of El Cuarenta, or 40 as Treviño Morales became known, quickly became well known among his men, his rivals and Nuevo Laredo citizens terrified of incurring his anger. "If you get called to a meeting with him, you're not going to come out of that meeting," said a US law-enforcement official in Mexico City, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the topic. |
| One technique favoured by Treviño Morales was the "guiso," or stew, in which enemies would be placed in 55-gallon drums and burned alive. Others who crossed the commander were beaten with wooden planks. | One technique favoured by Treviño Morales was the "guiso," or stew, in which enemies would be placed in 55-gallon drums and burned alive. Others who crossed the commander were beaten with wooden planks. |
| Around 2005 Treviño Morales was promoted to boss of the Nuevo Laredo territory, or "plaza", and given responsibility for fighting off the Sinaloa cartel's attempt to seize control of its drug smuggling routes. He orchestrated a series of killings on the US side of the border, several by a group of young US citizens who gunned down their victims on the streets of the American city. American officials believe the hitmen also carried out an unknown number of killings on the Mexican side of the border, the US official said. | Around 2005 Treviño Morales was promoted to boss of the Nuevo Laredo territory, or "plaza", and given responsibility for fighting off the Sinaloa cartel's attempt to seize control of its drug smuggling routes. He orchestrated a series of killings on the US side of the border, several by a group of young US citizens who gunned down their victims on the streets of the American city. American officials believe the hitmen also carried out an unknown number of killings on the Mexican side of the border, the US official said. |
| In one attack in the US the killers shot the intended victim's stepbrother and fled the scene, according to testimony at one of the hitmen's trial. As the hitmen fled Treviño Morales called them from Mexico and ordered them to return and shoot the man he had originally wanted killed, who was accused of not paying the Gulf cartel for drugs. | In one attack in the US the killers shot the intended victim's stepbrother and fled the scene, according to testimony at one of the hitmen's trial. As the hitmen fled Treviño Morales called them from Mexico and ordered them to return and shoot the man he had originally wanted killed, who was accused of not paying the Gulf cartel for drugs. |
| In 2006 the Gulf cartel and the Zetas defeated the Sinaloa cartel in Nuevo Laredo, a victory that emboldened them as they began spreading south to towns and cities that had never before seen organised crime. They set up criminal networks to control transit routes for drugs, migrants, extortion, kidnapping, contraband of pirated DVDs and CDs and countless other criminal activities, intimidating local residents and committing gruesome murders as an example to the unco-operative. | In 2006 the Gulf cartel and the Zetas defeated the Sinaloa cartel in Nuevo Laredo, a victory that emboldened them as they began spreading south to towns and cities that had never before seen organised crime. They set up criminal networks to control transit routes for drugs, migrants, extortion, kidnapping, contraband of pirated DVDs and CDs and countless other criminal activities, intimidating local residents and committing gruesome murders as an example to the unco-operative. |
| According to a US official Treviño Morales was in charge of Nuevo Leon, Piedras Negras and other areas until March 2007 when he was sent to the city of Veracruz following the death of a leading Zeta in a gunbattle there. | According to a US official Treviño Morales was in charge of Nuevo Leon, Piedras Negras and other areas until March 2007 when he was sent to the city of Veracruz following the death of a leading Zeta in a gunbattle there. |
| That same year Treviño Morales and Zeta head Heriberto Lazcano Lazcano began pushing for independence from the Gulf cartel after cartel head Osiel Cardenas Guillen's extradition to the US. | That same year Treviño Morales and Zeta head Heriberto Lazcano Lazcano began pushing for independence from the Gulf cartel after cartel head Osiel Cardenas Guillen's extradition to the US. |
| The Zetas split from the Gulf cartel and by 2008 had operations in 28 major Mexican cities, according to an analysis by Grupo Savant, a Washington-based security think tank. | The Zetas split from the Gulf cartel and by 2008 had operations in 28 major Mexican cities, according to an analysis by Grupo Savant, a Washington-based security think tank. |
| In February 2008 Lazcano sent Treviño Morales to Guatemala, where he was responsible for eliminating local competitors and establishing Zetas control of smuggling routes. He orchestrated the military-style ambush of Guatemalan drug boss Juan Jose "Juancho" Leon in March 2008 and may even have fired the bullet that killed him, the US official said. | In February 2008 Lazcano sent Treviño Morales to Guatemala, where he was responsible for eliminating local competitors and establishing Zetas control of smuggling routes. He orchestrated the military-style ambush of Guatemalan drug boss Juan Jose "Juancho" Leon in March 2008 and may even have fired the bullet that killed him, the US official said. |
| Treviño Morales was then named by Lazcano as national commander of the Zetas across Mexico despite his lack of military background, earning him the resentment of some of the original ex-military members of the Zetas, the official said. | Treviño Morales was then named by Lazcano as national commander of the Zetas across Mexico despite his lack of military background, earning him the resentment of some of the original ex-military members of the Zetas, the official said. |
| The promotion involved Treviño Morales in virtually every decision by the Zetas, the official said. | The promotion involved Treviño Morales in virtually every decision by the Zetas, the official said. |
| Treviño rose to the top of the Zetas in 2012 after leader Lazcano died in a shootout with Mexican marines in the northern state of Coahuila. | Treviño rose to the top of the Zetas in 2012 after leader Lazcano died in a shootout with Mexican marines in the northern state of Coahuila. |
| Lazcano's body was robbed from a smalltown funeral home by gunmen shortly after marines left it unguarded. That raised doubts the former soldier had been killed. | Lazcano's body was robbed from a smalltown funeral home by gunmen shortly after marines left it unguarded. That raised doubts the former soldier had been killed. |
| Treviño Morales was indicted on drug trafficking and weapons charges in New York in 2009 and Washington in 2010, and the US government issued a $5m reward for information leading to his arrest. | Treviño Morales was indicted on drug trafficking and weapons charges in New York in 2009 and Washington in 2010, and the US government issued a $5m reward for information leading to his arrest. |
| According to the indictments Treviño Morales co-ordinated the shipment of hundreds of pounds of cocaine and marijuana each week from Mexico into the US, much of which had passed through Guatemala. | According to the indictments Treviño Morales co-ordinated the shipment of hundreds of pounds of cocaine and marijuana each week from Mexico into the US, much of which had passed through Guatemala. |
| He also moved bulk shipments of dollar bills back into Mexico, the documents say. | He also moved bulk shipments of dollar bills back into Mexico, the documents say. |
| According to one of the indictments Treviño Morales co-ordinated the payment of bonuses to cartel fighters, according to their territory and seniority. Regional bosses got $10,000, the indictment says. In one intercepted conversation Treviño Morales offered 220 tonnes of marijuana to a regional commander for smuggling into the US. The commander replied that he only wanted a tonne. In 2007 the indictment says, Treviño Morales discussed moving a shipment of 300-400kg of cocaine across northern Mexico in a sport-utility vehicle. | According to one of the indictments Treviño Morales co-ordinated the payment of bonuses to cartel fighters, according to their territory and seniority. Regional bosses got $10,000, the indictment says. In one intercepted conversation Treviño Morales offered 220 tonnes of marijuana to a regional commander for smuggling into the US. The commander replied that he only wanted a tonne. In 2007 the indictment says, Treviño Morales discussed moving a shipment of 300-400kg of cocaine across northern Mexico in a sport-utility vehicle. |
| The next month, the indictment says, authorities in Texas seized $2.7m in an SUV. The money, according to an intercepted conversation, belonged to Treviño Morales. | The next month, the indictment says, authorities in Texas seized $2.7m in an SUV. The money, according to an intercepted conversation, belonged to Treviño Morales. |
| Treviño Morales' brother, sister and mother lived in Dallas but he had many relatives around Nuevo Laredo and, while moving frequently to avoid authorities, he was believed to often return to his hometown, the US official said. | Treviño Morales' brother, sister and mother lived in Dallas but he had many relatives around Nuevo Laredo and, while moving frequently to avoid authorities, he was believed to often return to his hometown, the US official said. |
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