More than three months after their extradition to the United States, prosecutors held a second status hearing in the criminal case against the Treviño Morales brothers, former leaders of the Los Zetas cartel, during which nearly five million pieces of evidence were presented to a judge in Washington, D.C.
Kirk Handrich, the trial attorney with the Justice Department's Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section (NDDS) managing the case, said at least 4.9 million files have been identified, all of which will be shared with the defense and could potentially be used at trial.
On June 11, prosecutors revealed that the case includes roughly 490,000 intercepted calls, transcripts, intelligence summaries, and other materials related to Miguel Ángel and Omar Treviño Morales, who led the cartel throughout the 2010s.
Handrich said additional evidence is still pending, including information from the Mexican government and materials collected by DEA agents in Dallas and Laredo, Texas, according to Milenio.
"Most of the evidence is in Spanish," Handrich said. "But we have a translator for English."
In March, the Treviño Morales brothers appeared before U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden in Washington and pleaded not guilty to charges, including organized crime, drug trafficking, firearm possession, and money laundering.
Despite delays and the large volume of evidence presented, Handrich said prosecutors expect to update the court by the next hearing, scheduled for Oct. 14, on whether the Justice Department will seek the death penalty if the brothers are convicted.
During the June 11 hearing, the defense team requested that the Justice Department turn over all documents and communications related to the brothers' transfer to the U.S., arguing the process occurred outside of the formal extradition framework.
The motion, filed by defense attorney Eduardo Balarezo and cited by Milenio, seeks records of communications between the U.S. and Mexican governments, as well as internal documents from U.S. agencies, including the Justice and State departments and the White House. The defense argues the documents are necessary to determine whether there were any irregularities in the handover, which occurred before extradition proceedings were completed.
According to Milenio, the Treviño Morales brothers, known as "Z-40" and "Z-42" respectively, are represented by a high-profile team of nine attorneys. These include Frank Pérez, who also represents Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada; Eduardo Balarezo, former attorney for Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán; and Clark Birdsall, who has also represented Zambada since January.
Los Zetas Cartel
Los Zetas originated as an elite unit of military deserters from the Mexican army who became an armed wing for the Gulf Cartel. They later split off to form their organization and rose to prominence in the early 2000s.
Known for their brutal tactics, including kidnapping, extortion, and torture, Los Zetas became one of Mexico's most feared and violent criminal groups.
As InSight Crime highlights, Los Zetas were known for their use of state-of-the-art weapons and communications technology. At one point, the DEA considered them to be the most technologically advanced, sophisticated, and violent enforcement group in Mexico.
The cartel was originally led by Heriberto Lazcano Lazcano, who recruited the Treviño Morales brothers in 2003, and by 2011, they had become part of his inner circle. Following Lazcano's death in 2012, the brothers assumed leadership of the organization.
Although both were captured years ago (Miguel Ángel in 2013 and Omar in 2015) U.S. prosecutors argue the brothers continued to exert control over the cartel from behind bars until their extradition in February.
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