Following the capture of Carlos Munsivais Treviño, known as “El Bola,” a prominent leader of the Cartel del Noreste, Border Patrol agents in Texas have been placed on high alert for potential retaliatory violence. Treviño was apprehended on September 3, 2024, in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, a city just across the border from Laredo, Texas. His capture has heightened concerns that the cartel could launch attacks across the Rio Grande into U.S. territory.
The intel obtained via sources encourages agents to be cautious when encountering “military aged Undocumented Non-Citizens along the border as CDN combatants may attempt to flee into the U.S.”
A memo from the Laredo Sector Intelligence Unit, obtained by the media, has warned that Treviño’s arrest could provoke an increase in “cross-border violence in the form of retaliatory attacks.” Although the memo did not specifically name Treviño, reports from Mexican media confirmed his identity as the cartel leader detained by Mexican authorities. This development has prompted U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to closely monitor the situation, advising agents to exercise caution, particularly when dealing with “military-aged undocumented noncitizens” who may attempt to flee into the United States.
Treviño, regarded as the second-most important figure in the Cartel del Noreste, played a crucial role in orchestrating the cartel’s operations, including kidnappings, extortion, and trafficking of drugs and migrants. His lineage is deeply rooted in cartel activities, with his uncles, Miguel Ángel and Omar Treviño Morales, having led the infamous Los Zetas cartel, from which the Cartel del Noreste splintered in 2014.
Nuevo Laredo, the cartel’s stronghold, is a critical battleground in the ongoing turf war between drug cartels, primarily due to its strategic position as a major drug trafficking corridor into the United States. The area’s significance in the drug trade and its potential for violence underscore the urgency and gravity of the alert issued to U.S. border agents.
Check out this post: