Miguel Treviño Morales
Encyclopedia
Miguel Angel Treviño Morales (a.k.a: Z-40, 40, Zeta 40, David Estrada-Corado, Comandante Forty, El Catorce) is a Mexican
drug trafficker who is a commander
of the drug cartel known as Los Zetas
, currently led by Heriberto Lazcano. Miguel is an important figure in the Zetas, currently acting as gatekeeper of Nuevo Laredo city.
), trained in locating and apprehending drug cartel
members. It is believed that he was also trained at the military School of the Americas
in the United States. Also, he was trained by foreign specialists, including Americans, French, and Israelis, in rapid deployment, aerial assaults, marksmanship, ambushes, small-group tactics, intelligence collection, counter-surveillance techniques, prisoner rescues and sophisticated communications.
In the late 1990s, the Gulf Cartel
, a Mexican criminal organization, recruited him and 30 other GAFE members to provide protection and perform other vital functions, thus becoming Los Zetas, the paramilitary wing of the Gulf Cartel
, responsible for the smuggling of multi-ton quantities of cocaine
, marijuana
and heroin into the United States
from Mexico
annually.
In 2008, Miguel Treviño and Heriberto Lazcano forged an alliance with the Beltrán Leyva brothers
to form the most powerful and brutal cartel in Mexico today. Government sources said the new organization, along with Beltran Leyva's, are fighting for control against 'La Federacion' (The Federation), an alliance of drug trafficking organizations led by Joaquin "el Chapo" Guzman and by Ismael Zambada García
, former allies of Beltran Leyva.
Miguel Treviño also acts as a cartel 'gate-keeper' and collects the 'piso' (tariff) at all drug plazas controlled by Los Zetas. He is currently in charge of the highly lucrative Nuevo Laredo plaza, across the border from Laredo, TX. He bribes and intimidates officials to help maintain control, and puts down challenges violently. Treviño invokes such fear, very few local journalists dare to write about him. Strangely, he is well known to Mexican law enforcement officials, yet he never appeared on the "most wanted" lists of Mexico's federal or Tamaulipas state's attorney general's offices.
With Treviño’s help, Los Zetas have taken on sideline operations that go beyond narcotics trafficking: human smuggling, extortion, and gunrunning. In November 2007, the city of Laredo, Texas
issued an arrest warrant for Treviño in connection with a 2006 double homicide in Texas, and the U.S. Department of Justice also released an indictment against Treviño for conspiracy to manufacture and distribute cocaine into the United States. There is a bounty for Treviño in Mexico set at $2 million USD and another one in U.S.A. set at $5 million USD.
Mexican people
Mexican people refers to all persons from Mexico, a multiethnic country in North America, and/or who identify with the Mexican cultural and/or national identity....
drug trafficker who is a commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
of the drug cartel known as Los Zetas
Los Zetas
Los Zetas is the second most powerful drug cartel in Mexico and considered by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration as the most violent drug cartel and paramilitary enforcement group in Mexico...
, currently led by Heriberto Lazcano. Miguel is an important figure in the Zetas, currently acting as gatekeeper of Nuevo Laredo city.
Biography
Miguel Treviño is a former member of the Mexican Army’s elite Airborne Special Forces Group (GAFEGrupo Aeromóvil de Fuerzas Especiales
The Grupo Aeromóvil de Fuerzas Especiales or more commonly known as Fuerzas Especiales/Special Forces is a special forces unit of the Mexican Army's Special Forces Corps, trained by the world's special forces. There are a total of nine battalions, one High Command GAFE unit and one other group...
), trained in locating and apprehending drug cartel
Drug cartel
Drug cartels are criminal organizations developed with the primary purpose of promoting and controlling drug trafficking operations. They range from loosely managed agreements among various drug traffickers to formalized commercial enterprises. The term was applied when the largest trafficking...
members. It is believed that he was also trained at the military School of the Americas
Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation
The Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation , formerly the United States Army School of the Americas is a United States Department of Defense educational and training facility at Fort Benning near Columbus, Georgia in the United States...
in the United States. Also, he was trained by foreign specialists, including Americans, French, and Israelis, in rapid deployment, aerial assaults, marksmanship, ambushes, small-group tactics, intelligence collection, counter-surveillance techniques, prisoner rescues and sophisticated communications.
In the late 1990s, the Gulf Cartel
Gulf Cartel
The Gulf Cartel is one of the most powerful drug cartels in Mexico, and perhaps the oldest organized crime group in the country...
, a Mexican criminal organization, recruited him and 30 other GAFE members to provide protection and perform other vital functions, thus becoming Los Zetas, the paramilitary wing of the Gulf Cartel
Gulf Cartel
The Gulf Cartel is one of the most powerful drug cartels in Mexico, and perhaps the oldest organized crime group in the country...
, responsible for the smuggling of multi-ton quantities of cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
, marijuana
Cannabis (drug)
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
and heroin into the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
from Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
annually.
In 2008, Miguel Treviño and Heriberto Lazcano forged an alliance with the Beltrán Leyva brothers
Beltrán-Leyva Cartel
The Beltrán-Leyva Cartel was a Mexican drug cartel and organized crime syndicate founded by the four Beltrán Leyva brothers: Marcos Arturo, Carlos, Alfredo and Héctor....
to form the most powerful and brutal cartel in Mexico today. Government sources said the new organization, along with Beltran Leyva's, are fighting for control against 'La Federacion' (The Federation), an alliance of drug trafficking organizations led by Joaquin "el Chapo" Guzman and by Ismael Zambada García
Ismael Zambada García
Ismael Zambada García , also known as El Mayo Zambada, is a Mexican drug lord and one of the two Sinaloa cartel leaders...
, former allies of Beltran Leyva.
Miguel Treviño also acts as a cartel 'gate-keeper' and collects the 'piso' (tariff) at all drug plazas controlled by Los Zetas. He is currently in charge of the highly lucrative Nuevo Laredo plaza, across the border from Laredo, TX. He bribes and intimidates officials to help maintain control, and puts down challenges violently. Treviño invokes such fear, very few local journalists dare to write about him. Strangely, he is well known to Mexican law enforcement officials, yet he never appeared on the "most wanted" lists of Mexico's federal or Tamaulipas state's attorney general's offices.
With Treviño’s help, Los Zetas have taken on sideline operations that go beyond narcotics trafficking: human smuggling, extortion, and gunrunning. In November 2007, the city of Laredo, Texas
Laredo, Texas
Laredo is the county seat of Webb County, Texas, United States, located on the north bank of the Rio Grande in South Texas, across from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. According to the 2010 census, the city population was 236,091 making it the 3rd largest on the United States-Mexican border,...
issued an arrest warrant for Treviño in connection with a 2006 double homicide in Texas, and the U.S. Department of Justice also released an indictment against Treviño for conspiracy to manufacture and distribute cocaine into the United States. There is a bounty for Treviño in Mexico set at $2 million USD and another one in U.S.A. set at $5 million USD.
See also
- Drug War
- Mexican drug warMexican Drug WarThe Mexican Drug War is an ongoing armed conflict taking place among rival drug cartels who fight each other for regional control, and Mexican government forces who seek to combat drug trafficking. However, the government's principal goal has been to put down the drug-related violence that was...
- Mérida InitiativeMérida InitiativeThe Mérida Initiative is a security cooperation agreement between the United States and the government of Mexico and the countries of Central America, with the declared aim of combating the threats of drug trafficking, transnational organized crime and money laundering...
- List of Mexico's 37 most-wanted drug lords