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Portrait of Miguel Treviño Morales

Born in Mexico · Nationality Mexican — Los Zetas / Cartel del Noreste / drug trafficking / alleged homicides / money laundering / federal justice

Miguel Treviño Morales

Organised crime and cartels

Documented profile covering 9 controversies, including “2025–2026: transfer to United States, federal appearance and preparation for trial without plea agreement” and “2003–2024: alleged leadership of continuing criminal enterprise involving murder conspiracies, cocaine and marijuana trafficking, firearms and money laundering”.

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Profile No. 2628 · Updated on 12 October 2026

Portrait of Miguel Treviño Morales
9Documented controversies
9Sources
0Conviction

§ Legal statuses reflect the documented sources as of the date shown; they replace neither court decisions nor the presumption of innocence. Counts are not a rating. Methodology

I. Documented controversies

Case · 4 documented stages

2025–2026: transfer to United States, federal appearance and preparation for trial without plea agreement

Formally charged
01

27 February 2025–July 2026

2025–2026: transfer to United States, federal appearance and preparation for trial without plea agreement

Formally charged

Mexico transferred Miguel Treviño Morales to the United States in February 2025. He appeared before the federal court in Washington in March. In July 2026, prosecutors announced their intention to proceed to trial; Miguel and Omar had pleaded not guilty, and the timetable remained under discussion given the massive volume of evidence.

State of the evidence
Documented
Attribution
Accused

Sources · 3

  1. [1]
    U.S. Department of JusticeAttorney General Pamela Bondi Announces 29 Wanted Defendants from Mexico Taken into U.S. CustodyOfficial documentVery high reliability
  2. [2]
    U.S. Department of JusticeLeaders of Los Zetas, a Violent Mexican Drug Cartel, Arraigned on Drug Trafficking, Firearm, and Money Laundering ChargesOfficial documentVery high reliability
  3. [3]
    N+¿Z40 y Z42, exlíderes de Los Zetas, irán a juicio en EUA? Esto pasó en audiencia de hoyPressHigh reliability

Last verified: 14 September 2026

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02

January 2003–August 2024

2003–2024: alleged leadership of continuing criminal enterprise involving murder conspiracies, cocaine and marijuana trafficking, firearms and money laundering

Formally charged

The 2024 indictment accuses the Treviño brothers of a continuing criminal enterprise and describes several murder conspiracies, cocaine imports and attempted imports, use of firearms and money laundering, with alleged revenues exceeding 10 million dollars over a twelve-month period.

Attribution
Accused

Sources · 2

  1. [1]
    U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia / U.S. Department of JusticeFifth Superseding Indictment — United States v. Miguel Trevino Morales and Omar Trevino MoralesCourt recordVery high reliability
  2. [2]
    U.S. Department of JusticeLeaders of Los Zetas, a Violent Mexican Drug Cartel, Arraigned on Drug Trafficking, Firearm, and Money Laundering ChargesOfficial documentVery high reliability

Last verified: 14 September 2026

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03

2013–2024

2013–2024: allegation of continued control over Cartel del Noreste from Mexican prison

Formally charged

The DOJ alleges that Miguel and Omar continued to control the organisation after their arrests, renamed it Cartel del Noreste and installed family members to operate on their instructions.

Attribution
Directly implicated

Sources · 2

  1. [1]
    U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia / U.S. Department of JusticeFifth Superseding Indictment — United States v. Miguel Trevino Morales and Omar Trevino MoralesCourt recordVery high reliability
  2. [2]
    U.S. Department of JusticeLeaders of Los Zetas, a Violent Mexican Drug Cartel, Arraigned on Drug Trafficking, Firearm, and Money Laundering ChargesOfficial documentVery high reliability

Last verified: 14 September 2026

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06

17–20 March 2011

2011: Allende massacre — federal allegation of involvement in execution of dozens of residents

Formally charged

The fifth federal indictment alleges that Miguel and Omar Treviño Morales executed dozens of residents in and around Allende, Coahuila, and includes a murder conspiracy charge relating to that period.

Attribution
Accused

Sources · 2

  1. [1]
    U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia / U.S. Department of JusticeFifth Superseding Indictment — United States v. Miguel Trevino Morales and Omar Trevino MoralesCourt recordVery high reliability
  2. [2]
    U.S. Department of JusticeLeaders of Los Zetas, a Violent Mexican Drug Cartel, Arraigned on Drug Trafficking, Firearm, and Money Laundering ChargesOfficial documentVery high reliability

Last verified: 14 September 2026

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04

October 2012–15 July 2013

2012–2013: takeover of Los Zetas after Lazcano's death, followed by arrest in Mexico

No legal proceedings

Following Lazcano's death, Miguel Treviño Morales assumed principal leadership of Los Zetas. He was captured in July 2013 by Mexican marines near Nuevo Laredo, without an exchange of gunfire according to the authorities.

State of the evidence
Documented
Attribution
Directly implicated

Sources · 2

  1. [1]
    U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia / U.S. Department of JusticeFifth Superseding Indictment — United States v. Miguel Trevino Morales and Omar Trevino MoralesCourt recordVery high reliability
  2. [2]
    Reuters via Stabroek NewsMexico captures leader of Zetas drug cartelNews agencyHigh reliability

Last verified: 14 September 2026

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05

12 June 2012

2012: indictment in money laundering scheme involving quarter-horse breeding and racing in United States

Formally charged

A federal grand jury indicted Miguel, Omar and several associates in a case concerning alleged laundering of Zetas drug proceeds through buying, breeding, training and racing quarter horses in the United States. Co-defendants were subsequently convicted in the case.

Attribution
Directly implicated

Sources · 2

  1. [1]
    U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of TexasFederal Grand Jury Indicts Los Zetas Leader in Money Laundering SchemeProsecutor's statementVery high reliability
  2. [2]
    U.S. Department of JusticeTwo High-Ranking Los Zetas Cartel Members Latest Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking in the Eastern District of TexasOfficial documentVery high reliability

Last verified: 14 September 2026

Add to this entry

07

2008–20 July 2009

2008–2009: federal indictments for continuing criminal enterprise, international cocaine trafficking and weapons

No legal proceedings

Treviño Morales was named in US federal indictments, particularly in the Eastern District of New York and District of Columbia, for continuing criminal enterprise, international cocaine trafficking and firearms-related offences.

Attribution
Accused

Sources · 2

  1. [1]
    U.S. Department of JusticeAlleged Mexican Cartel Leaders, Associates Targeted in Newest Effort to Combat Drug Trafficking OrganizationsOfficial documentVery high reliability
  2. [2]
    U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia / U.S. Department of JusticeFifth Superseding Indictment — United States v. Miguel Trevino Morales and Omar Trevino MoralesCourt recordVery high reliability

Last verified: 14 September 2026

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08

20 July 2009

2009: Kingpin designation and US reward of up to 5 million dollars

No legal proceedings

The United States designated Miguel Treviño Morales as a major drug trafficker and offered up to 5 million dollars for information leading to his arrest or conviction.

State of the evidence
Documented
Attribution
Directly implicated

Sources · 2

  1. [1]
    U.S. Department of JusticeAlleged Mexican Cartel Leaders, Associates Targeted in Newest Effort to Combat Drug Trafficking OrganizationsOfficial documentVery high reliability
  2. [2]
    U.S. Department of StateMiguel Angel Trevino-Morales (Captured)Official documentVery high reliability

Last verified: 14 September 2026

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09

2006–2007

2006–2007: plaza boss in Nuevo Laredo then Veracruz, controlling hundreds of operatives and massive cocaine trafficking

No legal proceedings

The State Department describes Miguel Treviño Morales as plaza boss in Nuevo Laredo in 2006–2007 and then Veracruz, leading a structure of more than 200 operatives and involved in transporting hundreds of kilograms of cocaine weekly to the United States.

State of the evidence
Documented
Attribution
Directly implicated

Sources · 1

  1. [1]
    U.S. Department of StateMiguel Angel Trevino-Morales (Captured)Official documentVery high reliability

Last verified: 14 September 2026

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II. Constellation of documented links

  • Linked profile (portrait or initials) — click to open it
  • Line width: number of documented references
  • Hover over or tap a line: controversies and sources

Two profiles are linked when a documented controversy of one names the other. The link points to that controversy and its sources; it does not indicate a personal relationship.

List of documented links (1)
  1. Omar Treviño Morales1 documented reference

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