Feds Move to Seize Mexican Cartel Leader's Texas Home

MCALLEN, Texas — Federal prosecutors have moved to seize a Texas home belonging to the girlfriend of the former head of the Gulf Cartel. 

The U.S. Attorney’s Office filed suit to seize a home in McAllen Texas that belongs to Yvonne Lopez, a woman who they claim is the girlfriend of former Gulf Cartel Kingpin Jose Eduardo “El Coss” Costilla.

The house which was bought in 2006 for $200,000 and paid in cash is located in the southern area of McAllen in a newer subdivision, court records obtained by Breitbart Texas show. 

Prosecutors allege that El Coss — the head of the Gulf Cartel from the mid 2000’s until his arrest in Mexico — had no legal means of income and the house was bought with drug proceeds and gifted to his girlfriend. The property taxes on the house have also been paid in cash.  

The house was originally purchased by another woman who then through court filings gifted the house to Lopez. That woman Maria Becerra is the sister in law of Mario Ramirez Trevino, the successor of El Coss. 

The Gulf Cartel is a crime syndicate that has controlled the border area just south of the Texas border for more than 80 years and has been in control of a large part of the drug trafficking and human smuggling seen throughout the U.S.

Since 2010, the Gulf Cartel has been at war with its former enforcers Los Zetas, that fight along with other internal struggles within the cartel, have led to fierce shootouts in Mexico and several executions in various parts of the United States.