Mexican special forced have captured alleged cartel leader Hector Beltran Leyva in a lightning raid at a restaurant on Wednesday, the latest such capture in a string of high-profile drug arrests in Mexico, according to federal officials.
Mr. Leyva, the purported leader of the Beltran Leyva drug gang, was captured while eating inside of a seafood restaurant in the city of San Miguel de Allende, a popular place for both foreigners and artists in the central state of Guanajuato.
Not a single shot was fired during the brief operations, which brought an 11-month investigation to a swift and satisfying close, according to federal criminal investigations chief Tomas Zeron at an evening news conference.
The attest comes just a few months after Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, the elusive boss of the Sinaloa cartel, was captured. The Sinaloa cartel is widely considered to be the most powerful gang in Mexico. Mr. Guzman was captured back in February after spending more than a decade on the run after having escaped from prison.
According to Mexican authorities, Mr. Leyva, who is 49, assumed leadership of the Beltran Leyva cartel following the death of his brother at the hands of Mexican soldiers back in 2009. Two other brothers are currently behind bars for their involvement in the drug cartel.
“Obviously this is not the Beltran Leyvas’ organization in its strongest moment … but it continues to be a criminal organization capable of generating localized violence in some states,” Mexican security expert Jorge Chabat said.
Read more about the story at The Guardian.
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