Ninth Defendant in Zetas Horse Case Arrested

Ninth defendant in Zetas case arrested in El Paso

The U.S. attorney's office says a ninth suspect has been arrested after he was accused of being part of an alleged scheme to launder a drug gang's earnings with millions of dollars' worth of racehorses.

Raul Ramirez was arrested Monday afternoon at a border port of entry near El Paso. He's due to appear in court Friday in El Paso.

Ramirez is charged with money laundering, as are brothers Miguel Angel and Oscar Omar Trevino, reputed to be top leaders of Mexico's infamous Zetas drug cartel.

Also charged are the Trevinos' brother Jose and 10 others. Five are believed to be at large in Mexico.

Ramirez is accused of helping disguise ownership of the horses by bidding on behalf of Antonio Colorado, who then transferred ownership to Trevino.

Last Friday, 48-year-old Eusevio Maldonado Huitron was the first of the original seven charged to appear in federal court.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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