As reported by CBS News, the brothers led the Zetas as one of the most powerful and dangerous organized crime groups in Mexico up until its collapse and were two of the 29 drug-cartel suspects expelled from Mexico in February by the government of President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo under enormous pressure from the Trump Administration to act against the escalating epidemic of fentanyl being smuggled into the U.S.
In a press release issued with their arraignment, the Department of Justice stated, that the siblings were charged with “engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise that involved multiple murder conspiracies, conspiring to manufacture and distribute large quantities of cocaine and marijuana destined for the United States, using firearms — including a machinegun — during and in relation to drug trafficking crimes, and conspiring to launder monetary instruments.”
Per the DOJ, Miguel Trevino Morales controlled the Zetas after taking over leadership in October 2012, following his arrest Omar Trevino Morales assumed control until his subsequent arrest in 2015. Following their arrests, the brothers allegedly renamed Los Zetas to Cartel del Noreste (CDN) and continued to exercise control over the cartel from within the Mexican prison system.
In this manner, they reportedly continued to orchestrate criminal drug trafficking activities and acts of violence including murders, assaults, kidnappings, assassinations, and acts of torture. Subsequently, the CDN was declared a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) by Executive order of President Donald Trump in February 2025.
In a statement released by the DOJ, Acting Administrator Derek S. Maltz of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) said, “The DEA has never wavered from the global fight against this vicious, ruthless cartel led by brothers Miguel (Zeta 40) and Omar Trevino Morales (Zeta 42). These brothers are charged with importing tons of dangerous drugs into our country, and we believe they continued to run their business while serving time in a Mexican prison. Now they will face justice in the United States.Leaders of Los Zetas, a Violent Mexican Drug Cartel, Arraigned on Drug Trafficking, Firearm, and Money Laundering Charges
— Criminal Division (@DOJCrimDiv) March 17, 2025
🔗: https://t.co/n5djWYueDP pic.twitter.com/xakg2EE9Sb
"Our work is far from over. DEA will continue to keep the pressure on violent organizations, like Los Zetas, to disrupt their operations and relieve the stranglehold they exert along the southwest border.”
Supervisory Official Matthew R. Galeotti, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division said in a statement, “The Criminal Division is dedicated to achieving the Attorney General’s goal of the Total Elimination of Cartels. As alleged, former Zetas cartel leaders Z-40 and Z-42 engaged in conspiracies to kill members of the Mexican government, Mexican citizens, members of rival cartels, members of the Guatemalan government, and Guatemalan drug traffickers.
"We will aggressively pursue and bring to justice in the United States violent transnational criminals and leaders of cartels and hold them accountable for the death and violence they have committed here and abroad and for the large amounts of dangerous drugs that devastate our communities.”
The DOJ stated that the case, as part of "Operation Take Back America" will be prosecuted by Acting Deputy Chief Melanie Alsworth and Trial Attorneys Jayce Born and Kirk Handrich of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section, Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Wang for the Eastern District of New York, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas.
