Sinaloa Cartel: Mario Nunez-Meza aka M-10, accused of 350 murders in Durango, struck a plea deal with U.S.

By Chivis Martinez Borderland Beat

Named as responsible for over 350 murders in Durango

Mario Nunez-Meza aka M-10, lieutenant and right-hand man of El Chapo Guzmán, cut a plea agreement today in El Paso Texas Western Federal court. Details were not released.

His next court appearance for the plea was set forth today:

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT WESTERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS

EL PASO DIVISION/Mario Nunez-Meza CRIMINAL NO: EP:12-CR-00849(4)-FM

ORDER SETTING PLEA

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the above-entitled and numbered case is set for PLEA,  in District Courtroom, Room 422, on the 4th Floor of the United States Courthouse, 525 Magoffin Avenue, El Paso, TX, on Friday, September 04, 2020, at 11:00 AM.

History and 350 murders:

There was a US$5 million bounty for his arrest and/or conviction.

Mario Núñez Meza ("M10") was arrested in 2013. He was a close ally to El Chapo Guzmán.

He is linked to the murder of more than 350 people in Durango.

The victims were later found in clandestine mass graves across Durango, in the city, in busy neighborhoods, back yards, rural areas, literally everywhere in the state. This discovery was directly after the mass graves were discovered in San Fernando, Tamaulipas.

In Durango the “narco fosas” totaled 23 in the northwestern state of Mexico.

He is also linked to the 2010 killing of two Durango Anti-kidnapping agents, and three other members of the prosecution in the Cd. Camargo Chihuahua Prosecutor's Office.

At the time in 2011, the San Fernando mass graves received the majority of world press attention, the end total of bodies was 177.  The dead were mostly migrants, but also contained 2 Americans, identified by DNA.  This was a much more sympathetic story.

The much lessor received press attention was the Durango graves which totaled 23 ‘fosas’. 

M10 role in the killings:

Most of the Durango dead were allegedly those of an antagonistic Sinaloa Cartel splinter groups who called themselves Canelos and Cabreras.  M10 led and was the author of the murders of the groups who were in contention with Sinaloa Cartels for its Durango trafficking routes.   Los M’s, a Sinaloa Cartel enforcer group battled the breakaway groups and was led by M10.

The conflict continued throughout the state, leaving the dead in a widespread area. 

Previous to the battle, Canelos and Cabreras continued a long-standing business relationship with the Sinaloa Cartel, but made the decision to break away, joining forces to fight against Sinaloa for the “drug plazas”. 

                                                  M10 safehouse where the arrest took place

The arrest 
At the time of his arrest the attorney general’s office has over 30 investigations against Núñez Meza.  He was expected to serve 40 years in prison when convicted.

The information released by the Chihuahua State Prosecutor's Office reported that the capo was arrested in a safehouse in Ciudad Juárez, without requiring the use of force,  or the firing of a single shot.

At the site where Núñez Meza was arrested, explosives and firearms were found, as well as drugs.

In the arsenal included 16 of the so-called "sausages", which contain an explosive power known as Tovex. In addition, several long weapons, two grenade launchers, three short weapons, several vests, radios, green and blue tactical uniforms, both from the Federal Police and from the military. 

Tovex was used in the Juarez car bomb that killed the two agents.

 

At the time of his arrest, the attorney general’s office had over 30 investigations against Núñez Meza.  He was expected to serve 40 years in prison if/when convicted. 

The information released by the Chihuahua State Prosecutor's Office revealed that the capo was arrested in a safehouse in Ciudad Juárez, without requiring the use of force, or the firing of a single shot. Núñez Meza was a part of a Mexican group extradition during the week of December 16th, 2019. 

The group extradited was seven high-level Mexican narcos, including “Mayito Gordo" son of capo Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, leader of the Sinaloa Cartel. They were linked to the Tijuana, Sinaloa, Los Zetas and Beltrán Leyva cartels. 

The extradited group were: 

Gustavo Rivera Martínez ("Carlos Herrera Ávalos" or "El P1"); 
José Odilón Ramírez Perales;
Mario Núñez Meza ("M10); 
Juan Carlos Juárez Torres;
Francisco Hernández García ("El 2000" or "El Panchillo"), and 
José María Guizar Valencia ("El Z43").