Two Brothers from Mexico Ran Jalisco Cartel Meth Operation in Dallas

Two brothers from Mexico ran a large-scale meth distribution operation in Dallas, Texas, on behalf of Cartel Jalisco New Generation (CJNG), one of the most violent drug cartels.

Federal court documents revealed that for several years, Ricardo Hernandez Zarate, 33, and his older brother Pedro Hernandez Zarate, 45, were behind large-scale shipments of liquid methamphetamine through a CJNG route that connected the Texas border with Dallas and ultimately Oklahoma.

According to federal prosecutors, the younger Hernandez Zarate acted as the cell leader, coordinating distribution to and within Dallas. He pleaded guilty in February 2022 and, earlier this month, received a 40-year prison sentence. He had permanent legal residency at the time of the offense.

The elder Hernandez Zarate directly coordinated one shipment of 112 gallons of liquid meth hidden in the diesel tank of a tractor-trailer. Federal prosecutors claimed that the shipment had a value of $9.9 million and was ultimately headed to Oklahoma. He was in the country illegally. He received a 30-year prison sentence.

Dallas has a long history of being used as a large distribution hub by Mexican cartels. At least since 2018, CJNG has used routes from Laredo to Dallas and Houston. Those routes rely on tractor-trailers where liquid meth is hidden in diesel tanks or solid meth is hidden within other cargo.

CJNG is considered one of the most violent criminal organizations in Mexico. Most of the raging violence and mass killing in Mexico is directly linked to turf wars between CJNG and the Sinaloa Cartel or their allies. In addition to hyperviolent executions and the mass shooting of innocent victims, CJNG has also been linked to the widespread use of explosive devices and drones to drop bombs.

Editor’s Note: Breitbart Texas traveled to Mexico City and the states of Tamaulipas, Coahuila, and Nuevo León to recruit citizen journalists willing to risk their lives and expose the cartels silencing their communities.  The writers would face certain death at the hands of the various cartels that operate in those areas including the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas if a pseudonym were not used. Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles are published in both English and their original Spanish. This article was written by “C.P. Mireles” from Tamaulipas.