*Updated Sept. 5*
Guadalajara -
A 46 year old Mexican national who is the brother of a man federal authorities claim is the second ranking official of the powerful Los Zetas drug cartel will go on trial Monday in an Austin, Texas courtroom.
José Treviño Morales is facing multiple federal charges, including money laundering, which could land him in prison for the rest of his life. He is the brother of Miguel Ángel Treviño Morales, known as Z-40. Miguel is alleged to be the second in command of the Los Zetas and is presumed to be in Mexico, although his whereabouts are unknown.
José Morales was a green card holder, with lawful permanent residency in the United States, when he was arrested together with several other Mexican nationals at his Oklahoma ranch in June 2012 (Feds bust Los Zeta money washers in U.S.). Federal agents said the ranch and properties in three others states were being used by the Mexicans to launder profits for the notoriously violent Los Zetas.
A shell corporation controlled by Treviño Morales and his associates, Tremor Enterprises, was headquartered in Ruidoso, New Mexico. Tremor’s purported business was the breeding and raising of quarter horses destined for U.S. racetracks. But the Justice Dept. said it was a front for the massive money laundering operation. The federal investigation of Tremor and its links to the Los Zetas cartel began in September 2010.
Mexican federal prosecutors said last summer that they knew nothing about José Treviño Morales. He had no criminal record in Mexico. But there are outstanding Mexican warrants for his brother Miguel Morales, who is said to be well known for his brutality in dealing with rival drug traffickers.
Defense attorneys have alleged in court pleadings that the government has no substantial evidence against their client, and that his only crime is "being the brother of Miguel Morales."
Tremor Enterprises enabled the Morales brothers and Los Zetas to launder millions of dollars of illicit drug profits annually, according to U.S. authorities, by converting them into pricey real estate, horses, vehicles and everything else needed for what appeared to be a legitimate, large scale ranch and horse breeding operation. But the brothers shared much more than a desire to wash dirty money. Both are said to be horse racing aficionados who became addicted to winning. Tremor drew the attention of federal authorities in January 2010 when it purchased two mares in one day for more than a million dollars. The company allegedly budgeted up to a million dollars a month to purchase new racing stock. Sources reported that in just three years, Tremor horses earned $2.5 million in prize money.
Hundreds of F.B.I. agents, backed by helicopters and aerial surveillance, simultaneously executed search and arrest warrants at the properties last June. At the Oklahoma ranch they arrested Treviño and his wife, allegedly the group's bookkeeper, as well as five family members and employees of Tremor. Warrants were also issued for seven other persons.
A federal grand jury investigation of Treviño Morales and Tremor concluded that the money laundering conspiracy commenced no later than 2008, and involved the use of an intricate chain of dozens of shell companies to acquire and hold title to real estate, horses, vehicles and equipment. The original indictment is below, and contains a fascinating account of Zetas activities and how their U.S. money laundering operation functioned. The grand jury charged that the conspiracy involved persons "from the Mexican border to Austin and beyond."
Under U.S. criminal statutes, all real estate, personal property and cash belonging to Tremor and the Treviño Morales family are subject to civil forfeiture to the federal government. Besides the Oklahoma ranch, the corporation owned racetracks or properties in California, New Mexico and Texas. Last June F.B.I. agents seized a reported 70 prize race horses, and filed an application with the federal court to seize the ranch. Many of the horses have since been auctioned. The government also filed a request for a cash judgment of $20 million against Tremor and Treviño Morales family members, representing their alleged approximate profit from money laundering and related crimes.
Tomorrow's trial will be conducted under heavy security at the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, Austin Division. Federal judge Sam Sparks, a veteran of many high profile cases, will preside. The defendants and their attorneys requested and received one continuance of the trial last October, but Sparks rejected another and ordered proceedings to begin on Monday. Progress in the case has been slowed by the need to translate thousand of pages of government evidence and legal documents from English to Spanish, and some in reverse. The case, which is being tried to a jury, could last several weeks.
Immediately after the June raids and arrest of Treviño Morales, the U.S. State Dept. issued an alert for Americans throughout Mexico, warning of the possibility of "retaliation or anti-American violence." U.S. State Dept. issues Mexico-wide alert, warning of "anti-American violence." Although it was at least the fourth warning for U.S. nationals in Mexico last year, the alert was unusual in that it applied to persons throughout the country, rather than just to those in regions accustomed to narco violence.
May 9 - After nine hours of deliberation over two days, a jury today convicted José Treviño Morales. He'll be sentenced later this year.
July 15, 2013 - Top Los Zeta boss, Z-40, arrested in Nuevo Laredo
Sept. 5 - Treviño Morales was sentenced to 20 years in prison today in an Austin federal court.
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A note on Zetas' numbering system: Apparently the Los Zetas hierarchy believes in democracy, or at least originally did. When the organization was young each new member was given the next available number. Z-40 is now second in command only because everybody ahead of him - everybody but one - has been killed off, captured or decommissioned. MGR can't tell readers what the last number is, or who holds it.
June 15 - Mexican marines arrest top financial aid to Z-40, Zeta # 2
June 13 - Treviño Morales Indictment Unsealed
Jan. 13, 2012 - Top Zeta leader arrested; linked to 50 murders, including U.S. ICE agent in 2011
© MGRR 2013. All rights reserved. This article may be cited or briefly quoted with proper attribution or a hyperlink, but not reproduced without permission.
Trevino-Morales Charging Documents
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