Osiel Cárdenas Guillén, the head of the Gulf Cartel, is headed to prison. The trial took place in Houston, Texas, Guillen pleaded guilty to five counts of drug dealing, money laundering, and attempted murder and assault. He also forfeited 50 million in assets. Cardenas was arrested in 2003, he and his gang, known as Zetas, who are generally ex-military personnel, were known for being violent and ruthless to civilians and especially rival cartels. Even after arrested, Cardenas ran the cartel from his jail cell. That was until in 2007, when the Zetas broke off and formed their own cartel. Battles near the border of Laredo still rage, as remnants of Cardenas cartel vie for their turf.
The Mexican government has generally been powerless to stop drugs crossing the border. Government officials have been killed and by all means the state seems overmatched. President Felipe Calderón, extradited Cardenas in an attempt to show new strategies and to try working with the US government to protect the border and break down the cartels. His trial and its testimonies were not realesed to the public.
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