Los Zetas Cartel Leaders Plead Not Guilty To Drug Trafficking Charges As They Face Death Penalty In The U.S.

Omar (left) and Miguel Ángel (right) Treviño Morales were among the 29 prisoners extradited to the U.S. in February (Credit: Via infobae.com)

Two weeks after being extradited to the United States, Miguel Ángel and Omar Treviño Morales, identified as the two top leaders of the Los Zetas Cartel, appeared before Judge Trevor N. McFadden at the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking and all other charges they are being accused of.

The brothers, also known as Z-40 and Z-42, respectively, had their first hearing since being extradited from Mexico in an exchange that included 27 other high-profile prisoners wanted in the U.S. due to drug trafficking crimes.