Mexico deported the suspected leader of a drug cartel to the United States, authorities said on March 15, 2022, after his arrest spurred armed attacks against almost two dozen military installations and a U.S. consulate.
Juan Trevino, also known as “El Huevo” or “The Egg,” was arrested March 13 in the northern Mexican border state of Tamaulipas. He was wanted for crimes including drug trafficking and money laundering.
“It was a blow to one of the most important criminal organizations in the northeast of the country, with influence in at least five states and operations in the United States,” Rosa Rodriguez, Mexico’s security minister, said in a news conference.
The capture of El Huevo in one of the most violent regions of the country generated armed attacks by his gang, the Northeast Cartel, against 22 military installations, 16 road blockades and caused collateral damage to the U.S. consulate in Nuevo Laredo, according to authorities.
Authorities sent more than 700 military personnel and four helicopters to secure the area March 15 after the attacks. (Pictured: A trailer in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, was set ablaze by suspected gang members after the arrest of cartel boss Juan Trevino, also known as El Huevo.)
Trevino is connected to the family that allegedly founded the Los Zetas cartel, whose leader, Heriberto Lazcano “El Lazca,” a former military man, was killed by Mexican Soldiers in October 2012.
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has said one of his administration’s main challenges is to combat the violence in the country, which has been incessant for years.
IMAGE CREDIT: REUTERS