Northeast Cartel

The Cártel del Noreste is a Mexican criminal organization and U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization that splintered from Los Zetas, following the capture of the latter's last absolute leader Omar Treviño Morales. Their main criminal activities are kidnapping, extortion, vehicle theft, human trafficking, drug trafficking, money laundering, as well as the control of local activities such as prostitution, and illegal human trafficking, among others. They have total control of the city of Nuevo Laredo, its main base. They are said to have an operational presence in the United States, Guatemala, Honduras and Colombia. In the latter, it is believed that they took away the cocaine purchasing business from Los Zetas, after their disappearance as a criminal group.