Jaime Gonzalez-Duran, a high-ranking member of the Los Zetas cartel, now Cartel del Noreste, was sentenced to 35 years in prison and ordered to forfeit $792 million for his role in an international drug trafficking conspiracy.
In November 2008, authorities seized a staggering weapons cache from a warehouse in Reynosa, Mexico, controlled by Gonzalez-Duran, including 540 rifles, 165 grenades, 500,000 rounds of ammunition, and 14 sticks of TNT.
These armaments were used to secure drug trafficking routes and territories along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Gonzalez-Duran was also responsible for smuggling over 450 kilograms of cocaine and 90,000 kilograms of cannabis into the United States.
His violent tactics included bribing law enforcement and orchestrating attacks on rival cartels.
The DEA Houston Division led the investigation, culminating in his October 2022 extradition from Mexico.
This case is part of the Justice Department’s Operation Take Back America.
Read the media statement by the U.S. Department of Justice: High-Ranking Member of Violent Mexican Drug Cartel Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison for His Role in an International Drug Trafficking Conspiracy
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