Carlos Alberto Monsiváis “Bola” Treviño, reported by some news outlets as the No. 1 man in the powerful Northeast Cartel, has been arrested in Tamaulipas in a joint operation of the Mexican Army and National Guard.
According to the Attorney General’s Office (FGR), the Monday afternoon arrest took place without incident due to the operation’s secrecy. It reportedly occurred in a neighborhood of Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, 2 kilometers from the U.S.-Mexico border.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the suspect was in FGR custody in Mexico City, where he was presented before a public prosecutor at the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime (FEMDO).
At the time of publication, it is unknown what specifically led to his arrest, but it is speculated he could be charged with crimes such as homicides, kidnappings and extortion.
Meanwhile, U.S. Border Patrol agents in Laredo, Texas, have been bracing for violence following the capture.
A safety alert from the Laredo Sector Intelligence Unit (part of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office) said the arrest “may increase the risk of cross-border violence in the form of retaliatory attacks.” An image of the alert was shared on the X account of journalist Ali Bradley.
Border Patrol agents were warned to use caution when encountering “undocumented persons of military age along the border since Cartel del Noreste [Northeast Cartel, or CDN] fighters could try to flee to the United States.”
Nicknamed “Bola Treviño” and “Comandante Bola,” Treviño has been identified by various investigations and journalistic reports as one of the main leaders of the CDN.
NEW: The arrest of a high-ranking member of the Cartel del Noreste (CDN) prompts Border Patrol to alert agents of the potential for an increase in “cross-border violence in the form of retaliatory attacks.”
The intel obtained via sources encourages agents to be cautious when… pic.twitter.com/xeRhfYjaKA
— Ali Bradley (@AliBradleyTV) September 3, 2024
Journalist Ali Bradley of the media outlet NewsNation posted on her X account an image of what she said was an alert sent to U.S. Border Patrol agents in Laredo, Texas, warning them of possible retaliatory violence along the Mexico-U.S. border due to Laredo’s proximity to Nuevo Laredo and the possibility of Northeast Cartel members fleeing into the U.S.
The newspaper El Universal called him “the second most important man” in the cartel, but Reforma said “he became the leader” after the 2022 arrest of his cousin, Juan Jesús “El Huevo” Treviño Chávez.
The cartel is known for drug trafficking and human trafficking and for the violent tactics it uses to control territory, smuggling routes and operations in its sphere of influence. Over the past two years, CDN has been involved in a violent war with the Gulf Cartel (CDG), which also has influence in the region.
CDN is said to operate in Nuevo León, Coahuila and Zacatecas in addition to Tamaulipas and is allegedly in an alliance with the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).
According to Reforma and reports published elsewhere, Treviño gained a level of notoriety when he was identified as the mastermind behind a video in which his cartel (Los Zetas at that time) denied financing President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s first presidential run in 2006.
Treviño was imprisoned in México state from 2010 to 2022; however, a judge ordered his release because of irregularities during his arrest.
Treviño belongs to a lineage with many connections to organized crime. He is the nephew of the brothers Miguel Ángel Morales (alias “Z-40”) and Omar Treviño Morales (alias “Z-42”), two former leaders of the Los Zetas cartel currently imprisoned and with extradition proceedings pending.
CDN is reportedly a splinter group of Los Zetas, which itself originated as the enforcement arm of the Gulf Cartel in the late 1990s. Originally, Los Zetas was said to be composed primarily of former Mexican Army special forces members, and the group became known for its ruthlessly violent tactics.
The split between CDN and Los Zetas reportedly occurred in 2010 after the arrest of key Los Zetas leaders, including the man who was nabbed again this week, Carlos Monsiváis Treviño.
With reports from El Universal, Milenio, Infobae and Reforma
