A drug lord nicknamed “El Huevo” or “The Egg” was extradited from Mexico to the United States early Tuesday morning.
Juan Gerardo Treviño, otherwise known as “El Huevo”, or “The Egg”, is a U.S. citizen who led Cartel Del Noreste and the Tropas del Infierno, an offshoot of the Zetas cartel. According to a joint statement released by the Attorney General's Office, Fiscalía General de la República, he is wanted in the U.S. for various drug trafficking charges and money laundering.
“El Huevo” was also wanted in the northern Mexican state of Tamaulipas for extortion and organized crime, and in Coahuila, for intentional homicide and terrorism.
His capture on Sunday by Mexican special forces caused heavy clashes and attacks on military and civilian targets in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, targeting the U.S. consulate as well.
Mexico’s National Defense Secretary also reported the gang blocked at least 16 roads and over 700 military personnel and four helicopters were sent to secure the area on Tuesday.
"El Huevo" was flown from Nuevo Laredo to Tijuana, where he walked across the Cross Border Xpress, a pedestrian bridge used by tourists who cross from the U.S into Tijuana’s airport. The Attorney General and the Ministry of National Defense handed "El Huevo" over to U.S. Marshalls and the FBI.
According to Mexico’s Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Marcelo Ebrard called Treviño’s arrest “one of the most important apprehensions in the last decade, attributing the arrest to the “Bicentennial Understanding" security plan between Mexico and the United States”.
