A Mexican national associated with the Los Zetas cartel has admitted to conspiring in drug trafficking activities aimed at the United States. Jaime Gonzalez-Duran, known as Hummer, pleaded guilty to manufacturing and distributing significant quantities of cocaine and marijuana.
Court documents reveal that Gonzalez-Duran, aged 49, was an original member of Los Zetas, a group initially composed of former Mexican military officers acting as the armed wing for the Gulf Cartel. The alliance later operated under "The Company." As a high-ranking figure within Los Zetas, Gonzalez-Duran managed drug-trafficking operations in Miguel Aleman and other regions like Nuevo Laredo and Reynosa in Mexico. His responsibilities included bribing law enforcement to protect drug shipments, maintaining weapon caches, and engaging in violence against rival groups. He was responsible for importing over 450 kilograms of cocaine and 90,000 kilograms of marijuana into the U.S.
Gonzalez-Duran is set to be sentenced on June 6. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and could receive up to life imprisonment. A federal district court judge will determine his sentence based on U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
Antoinette T. Bacon from the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and DEA Special Agent Daniel C. Comeaux announced this development. The DEA's Houston Field Division conducted the investigation with assistance from Mexico's law enforcement partners for Gonzalez-Duran's arrest and extradition in October 2022.
Prosecutors Tara Arndt, Jayce Born, and Melanie Alsworth from the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section are handling the case prosecution.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation designed to identify and dismantle major drug trafficking organizations threatening U.S. security through a collaborative approach involving multiple agencies.