Mexican cartel hitmen made a brazen move into Texas territory, trying to take out a man who allegedly stole their cocaine. What happened next reveals how the deadly tentacles of these criminal organizations reach deep into American soil, posing serious questions about border security.
At a glance:
• Cartel Del Noreste (CDN), a faction of Los Zetas, sent hitmen from Mexico to Texas to assassinate a man called “Tico” who allegedly stole cocaine from them
• The assassination plot was ordered by Juan “Juanito” Cisneros Trevino, the number 2 leader of CDN-Los Zetas, who instructed his operatives to “leave no witnesses”
• U.S. authorities, aided by an unnamed cooperating source, set up a sting operation and arrested the hitmen with the help of a local police SWAT team
• The U.S. Department of State designated CDN as a foreign terrorist organization in February 2025
• Noe “El Tocayo” Gonzalez Martinez, a top lieutenant involved in the plot, was sentenced to life plus 60 months in prison
Mexican Cartel Orders Execution on American Soil
The Cartel Del Noreste (CDN) faction of Los Zetas deployed hitmen from Mexico to Laredo, Texas with a deadly mission: kill a man known as “Tico” who allegedly stole drugs from the criminal organization. This assassination plot, revealed in recent court documents, demonstrates the brazen nature of cartel operations that continue to threaten American communities near the southern border.
The operation was directed by Juan “Juanito” Cisneros Trevino, the second-in-command of CDN-Los Zetas, who specifically ordered the recovery of stolen cocaine and the execution of the thief. High-ranking lieutenant Noe “El Tocayo” Gonzalez Martinez, who has since been sentenced to life plus 60 months in prison, was dispatched to carry out the orders with explicit instructions to “leave no witnesses.”
The CDN-Los Zetas cartel has a long history of extreme violence and criminal activities spanning both sides of the border. Formerly led by Miguel Treviño Morales and his brother Omar, who were recently arraigned in Washington D.C. on multiple charges, the organization was officially designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. Department of State in February 2025.
American Authorities Thwart Cartel’s Cross-Border Murder Plot
Federal agents successfully foiled the assassination attempt through a carefully orchestrated sting operation, demonstrating the ongoing battle against cartel violence spilling into U.S. territory. Working with an unnamed cooperative source who had infiltrated the organization, authorities recorded conversations and gathered crucial intelligence about the planned execution.
The undercover operation culminated in the arrest of the hitmen with assistance from a local police SWAT team, preventing what could have been another brutal cartel killing on American soil. This case highlights the essential role of intelligence gathering and interagency cooperation in combating transnational criminal organizations that continue to threaten U.S. communities.
“The mill of justice grinds slowly, but it grinds finely,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei, emphasizing the government’s determination to bring cartel members to justice regardless of how long it takes. Similar cross-border kidnapping cases orchestrated by CDN-Los Zetas have occurred in Laredo in previous years, establishing a pattern of cartel operations that regularly breach the southern border.
Cartel Violence Continues Despite Leadership Arrests
The Los Zetas cartel originated as an elite special forces unit that defected to work for drug traffickers before eventually forming their own criminal organization known for extreme brutality. Originally led by Miguel Angel Treviño Morales, who was captured near the Texas border in 2013, the cartel has continued to evolve and operate despite leadership changes, with his brother Omar taking control before being captured himself.
Despite these high-profile arrests, the organization rebranded as Cartel del Noreste and has maintained its criminal enterprises throughout 11 Mexican states, with particular concentration in Tamaulipas, Coahuila, and Nuevo Leon. The cartel’s ongoing operations demonstrate how these criminal organizations adapt and persist even when their leadership is apprehended, continuing to traffic drugs, commit violence, and expand their influence on both sides of the border.
“Transnational Criminal Organizations like Los Zetas are fueled by greed, intimidation, and violence,” explained DEA Dallas Special Agent in Charge Eduardo A. Chavez. Since 2006, when Mexico militarized its war against cartels, over 60,000 people have been killed, with the total number of disappeared and presumed dead exceeding 100,000, including victims of the 2011 Allende Massacre where over 100 people were killed by the Zetas Cartel.
The Department of Justice has recently reinforced its commitment to fighting these criminal enterprises with Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Alfonso of ICE Homeland Security Investigations New York stating, “the defendants represent some of the world’s most vicious cartel leaders, who oversaw Los Zetas’ reign of terror with grotesque impunity and ruthlessness.” This case serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing security challenges at the southern border and the persistent threat posed by Mexican cartels to American communities.
