Two high-ranking members of Mexican cartels have appeared in federal court in Houston on drug trafficking charges, according to U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Juan Pedro Saldivar-Farias, also known as “Z-27,” 42, and Ricardo Cortez-Mateos, also known as “Billeton,” 41, were transferred to U.S. authorities on January 20. Saldivar-Farias is scheduled for a detention hearing on Friday, January 23 at 10 a.m., while Cortez-Mateos will be moved to Brownsville for his arraignment. Both men remain in custody.
The two individuals were indicted separately in 2021. According to the indictments, Saldivar-Farias served as a Los Zetas plaza boss and later regional commander in northern Mexico. Cortez-Mateos is described as a high-ranking member of the Cartel del Gulfo (CDG).
Court documents state that Los Zetas was involved in drug trafficking and money laundering operations that included importing marijuana and cocaine from Mexico into the United States. The organization reportedly controlled territory along the border between Mexico and the United States, including areas such as Zapata and Nueva Cuidad Guerrero in Tamaulipas, Mexico. Saldivar-Farias allegedly oversaw narcotics moving through these regions and regulated transportation routes across Falcon Lake. He is accused of charging a "piso" or tax for permission to store or transport drugs through these routes; those who did not pay faced threats or violence.
Saldivar-Farias is alleged to have directed the delivery of over 1,000 kilograms of marijuana and five kilograms of cocaine into the United States during a nine-year conspiracy.
Cortez-Mateos’s indictment alleges his involvement in major drug trafficking activities from 2015 through 2021. It describes CDG as a violent transnational group involved in various crimes such as kidnapping, extortion, human smuggling, and using violence—including assassinations—to control territory.
Saldivar-Farias faces charges related to conspiracy to import and distribute marijuana and cocaine from Mexico into the United States; he could face up to life imprisonment if convicted. Cortez-Mateos faces similar penalties if found guilty of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute—and unlawfully import—methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl.
The investigations were led by agencies including the FBI, Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), along with assistance from the Department of State, Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, and Mexican authorities.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey N. MacDonald and Anibal J. Alaniz are prosecuting Saldivar-Farias's case; AUSA Lance Watt is handling the case against Cortez-Mateos.
Both cases fall under the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established by Executive Order 14159: Protecting the American People Against Invasion—a collaborative effort aimed at dismantling criminal cartels operating within or affecting U.S. interests.
Additionally, these prosecutions are part of Operation Take Back America—a nationwide initiative focused on eliminating illegal immigration networks and protecting communities from violent crime linked to organized criminal groups.
U.S. authorities emphasized: "An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law."
