Cowboy Cartel: Where Are They Now?

of Cowboy Cartel: Where Are They Now? Aahana Swrup
August 12, 2024

The Apple TV+ crime docuseries’ Cowboy Cartel’ follows the mechanisms of the intriguing federal investigation into a drug cartel’s unique money laundering schemes involving racehorses. In 2009, a newbie FBI Agent, Scott Lawson, came across a tip that set him on the path to probe José Treviño, a bricklayer from Mexico whose success at quarter horse races—disproportionate to his spending—caught unwanted attention.

Consequently, with the help of dedicated investigative work and a few informants, Lawson soon found himself connecting José Treviño and his horses with the infamous Mexican drug cartel, Los Zetas, helmed by Treviño’s brothers, Miguel and Omar. After learning about the years-long process, which spanned departments from the DEA to the IRS as Lawson and his team brought Treviño to justice, people must have fostered an interest in the involved individuals and their lives after the investigation.

Scott Lawson Continues His Career as a Federal Agent

Scott Lawson was only a rookie FBI Agent, newly stationed in Laredo, Texas, after his graduation from FBI Quantico when he came across a clue that led him to set up his operation against José Treviño. Consequently, from 2009, he diligently worked on the investigation until leading an arrest against Treviño in 2012. During this time period, the Agent also lost his father—who inspired him to pick his calling in law enforcement—to an unfortunate heart attack. Years after the successful operation, Lawson continues to serve as an FBI Special Agent. No longer stationed in Texas, the FBI Agent currently resides in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

José Treviño Received a 20 Year Imprisonment Sentence

José Treviño

While Miguel and Omar Treviño Morales were known members of the violent Mexican drug cartel Los Zetas, José Treviño was their lawfully clean brother who resided in America. As a bricklayer from North Dallas, José entered the quarter horse racing scene in the United States as a seemingly innocent participant. However, soon enough, his finances attracted the attention of the federal authorities. Consequently, he became the subject of numerous operations, including Scott Lawson’s federal investigation.

In 2012, José grew confident in his horse racing capabilities and sought to start a training/breeding facility of his own in Oklahoma. Fortunately, the feds were able to move quickly before losing insight into his mechanisms and raided his home and stables on June 12, 2012. In May 2013, he was convicted of conspiracy to money launder since he was using Los Zetas drug trafficking money to fund his horse racing. As such, by September 2013, the court sentenced him to 20 years in prison and three years of supervised release.

Miguel and Omar Treviño are in Prison

Miguel and Omar Treviño were within the sights of American law enforcement well before José Treviño entered the picture. Therefore, after the third brother’s arrest, attention naturally shifted toward the other two. Fortunately, it was only so long after José’s arrest in 2012 that the authorities captured his brothers as well. The Mexican authorities arrested Miguel on July 15, 2013. He had numerous charges to his name, including drug trafficking, money laundering, organized crime, and others. As a result, for the following years, Omar overtook the position of head of Los Zetas until his own arrest on March 4, 2015. Today, both brothers are incarcerated in Mexico, with Miguel at the federal prison in Michoacán and Omar at a prison in Almoloya de Juárez.

Raul Perdomo is in Charge of the FBI’s Miami Division

Raul Perdomo, who was stationed at Laredo, Texas, from the late 2000s to early 2010s, was Scott Lawson’s partner. As such, he remained involved in the investigation all the way up to José Treviño and his conspirators’ convictions in 2013. Afterward, his career continued to flourish, with the 2012 FBI arrests retaining the limelight in public consciousness. Eventually, he moved to the Bureau’s Miami Division, wherein he became in charge as the Acting Assistant Special Agent. Thus, even though the Agent seems to prefer privacy in his personal life, updates about his professional life have been made available to the public.

Recently, in 2022, Perdomo became a part of an investigation into the tragic death of a 16-month-old toddler in Palm Beach, Florida. On the evening of April 7, 2022, a couple were attacked with gunfire while inside their cars. The toddler’s mother also fell victim to a bullet graze but survived through treatment after the father drove his family to the hospital. Unfortunately, the toddler—known only as “Baby Kaleb” since his parents chose to keep his identity anonymous—died after getting shot in the chest. The FBI joined forces with local law enforcement and offered a reward of $10,000—later increased to $40,000—for any information about the assailants.

Doug Gardner is Still an Assistant United States Attorney

Image Credit: Doug Gardner/LinkedIn

When Scott Lawson started his investigation into José Treviño, the FBI Agent and his associates knew they needed an attorney who was well-suited to the magnitude of the case. Consequently, Doug Gardner, the marine-turned-assistant US attorney, entered the picture and became a key figure involved in the case. Treviño and his collaborators’ convictions certainly left a significant mark on Gardner’s impressive career, which continues to grow in the aftermath.

These days, Gardner—an Austin, Texas resident—occasionally appears on the news when speaking about a certain case or another. For instance, in July of 2024, he weighed in his expert knowledge to ABC KRCR to the dismissal of the domestic violence case involving Tyler McCain in Redding, California. On the other hand, his own professional involvement in court trials also remains noteworthy, such as Cliofa Delacruz’s drug trafficking and firearm possession case wherein Gardner was the prosecutor. Nonetheless, outside of such instances, the attorney’s life—particularly his personal life—remains out of the public eye.

Fernando Garcia was Convicted in 2013

In the aftermath of the FBI’s operation against José Treviño and his horse racing business, the authorities also took several other people into custody who were involved in the scheme. Fernando Solis Garcia, the professional horse trainer who played the part of a purchasing agent from New Mexico in Treviño’s money laundering conspiracy, was one of these individuals. In fact, during Scott Lawson’s investigation, the Agent was able to record many of Garcia’s conversations with Tyler Graham—the former’s informant.

In the end, on May 9, 2013, Garcia joined Treviño and two others in receiving federal convictions. He was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and received a sentencing in September of the same year. Ultimately, he was sentenced to 160 months—or 13.3 years—in federal prison and three years of supervised release. As per the sentencing, Garcia should still be imprisoned, but no updates about his current whereabouts are available.

Steve Pennington is Now Retired

Steve Pennington, an IRS criminal investigator, was another instrumental player in the investigation that brought José Treviño to justice. He led his task force, the Waco Treasury—which included other law enforcement agents, Steve Junker, Brian Schutt, and Kim Williams—who partnered with the FBI for the case. In a conversation with The Mirror in 2018, the Agent spoke about his experience with the investigation.

“There was a lot of international movement of money, a lot of horses, and it was difficult to get the records and the witnesses we needed to piece together the conspiracy,” Pennington said, divulging the challenging nature of the process. With thirty years under his belt, he considers this to be the most complex money laundering case of his career. Since then, the IRS investigator has retired from his career in law enforcement. Currently, he leads a civilian life.

Jesus “Mamito” Rejon-Aguilar Cooperated with the FBI

Although Jesus Enrique Rejon-Aguilar wasn’t a direct part of Scott Lawson’s federal investigation into José Treviño, he ended up playing a significant part in the latter’s trial. Rejon-Aguilar, also known as “El Mamito” or “Caballero,” is one of the original members of the Los Zetas cartel and once held a high position in the organization. Consequently, he’s responsible for the movement of massive amounts of marijuana and cocaine between Mexico and the US.

Rejon-Aguilar was suspected of being involved in the tragic murder of Jaime Zapata, a US immigration agent. Although no link was officially proven, the speculations remained. In 2011, the Mexican authorities arrested Rejon-Aguilar and extradited him to the US in 2012 due to accusations of drug smuggling. As such, he’s facing a minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison. In 2013, during the Treviño trial, Rejon-Aguilar took the stand and testified against the Los Zetas. In the following years, he continued to cooperate with federal authorities. Currently, he is not imprisoned in the Bureau’s custody.

Ginger Thompson is the Chief of Correspondents at ProPublica

Image Credit: Ginger Thompson/X

In the early 2010s, Ginger Thompson, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, worked at the New York Times as a criminal investigator under the title of the Mexico City bureau chief. Naturally, her profession led her to look into Los Zetas, which led her to José Treviño and his involvement with quarter horse racing. Even though the journalist’s investigation was entirely unconnected to Scott Lawson’s federal operation, she agreed to hold her article in exchange for some information to ensure it didn’t hinder the latter’s efforts.

As a result, it was on the day of Treviño’s arrest on June 12, 2012, that Thompson ran her article on the Los Zetas in the New York Times, breaking the news to the public. She went on to work with the publication for a few more years and penned several articles revolving around Latin American politics and crime. Afterward, she worked at The Baltimore Sun and The Times and has won numerous accolades throughout her career—such as the Polk Award, a Peabody Award, and a Tobenkin Prize. Today, she works at ProPublica as the Chief of Correspondents and maintains a social media presence on X, where she often shares her socio-political thoughts and opinions.

Read More: Miguel and Omar Trevino: Where Are Los Zetas Cartel Members Now?

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