Brownsville police arrested the son of the former leader of the Gulf Cartel this week.
Brownsville police arrested the son of the former leader of the Gulf Cartel this week.
Brownsville police spokesman J.J. Trevino confirmed the department arrested Osiel Cardenas Jr., the son of Osiel Cardenas, who is serving a 25-year sentence on federal drug charges.
Treviño said Osiel Cardenas Jr., 26, was arrested Tuesday night outside the Sky Bar in Brownsville for unlawful carrying of a weapon, false report to a police officer and public intoxication.
According to authorities, Osiel Cardenas Jr. was waving a handgun inside the bar and was kicked out. Patrons called police, Treviño said.
Also, Osiel Cardenas Jr. was claiming to be a U.S. Marshal when he was arrested, Treviño said.
On Wednesday, Osiel Cardenas Jr. appeared in federal court, and he is being held without bond, court records show.
He has two scheduled court appearances for violating his supervised release for a 2015 conviction for attempting to smuggle 480 rounds of various ammunition, two rifles and tactical weapons gear into Matamoros.
He’s scheduled to appear before a federal judge March 21 for a hearing and April 10 for a final hearing, court records show.
Osiel Cardenas Jr. was sentenced to 10 months in federal prison May 18, 2015, with three years supervised release.
As part of his supervised release, Osiel Cardenas Jr. was not allowed to travel to Mexico and was required to take inpatient/outpatient drug and alcohol treatment.
Court records indicate that he violated parole July 28, 2016, for driving with a suspended license.
On Dec. 31, 2014, Osiel Cardenas Jr. was stopped by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the B&MInternationalBridge. Authorities found 14.2 grams of marijuana hidden inside his underwear, and non-intrusive inspection technology used on the black 2015 Cadillac Escalade he was driving revealed that the vehicle was packed with ammunition, records show.
CBP officers found 290 rounds of 9mm ammunition, 161 rounds of .223 ammunition, 29 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, two .223 rifle magazines and other tactical weapons gear.
Osiel Cardenas Jr.’s father, Osiel Cardenas, took over the Gulf Cartel in 1997 after its former leader, Juan Garcia Abrego, was arrested in 1996 by Mexican authorities and extradited to the United States.
After some fractious infighting, Osiel Cardenas took control of the Gulf Cartel by murdering its co-leader, and his friend, Salvador Gomez Herrera.
The drug cartel landscape in Tamaulipas changed dramatically under Osiel Cardenas’ leadership, with the creation of Los Zetas, by recruiting members of the Mexican Army Special Forces as its armed wing.
