Mexican authorities have arrested a suspected top cartel member believed to be responsible for spearheading the region’s fentanyl production.The Mexican defence ministry issued a statement on Feb. 12, saying that a man has been arrested ‘in flagrante delicto’ by personnel from the Mexican Army and National Guard.
Fentanyl production and subsequent smuggling into the United Statred has been the cause of thousands of deaths.
The arrest took place in the state of Sinaloa on Feb. 9. It came not long after another high-profile arrest of cartel leader Ovidio Guzman and less than a month after U.S. President Biden’s visit to Mexico.
The suspect has been named as Jose “N,” in accordance with standard Mexican procedure of not divulging a suspect’s full name.
“As a result of inter-institutional coordination to strengthen the rule of law in the country and detect criminal organizations with a presence in said entity, and derived from intelligence activities, the presence of José “N” was learned in the town of Estancia de los García, Culiacán, Sin., who is presumed to be one of the presumed main priority targets that generate violence and represents a threat to society,” the ministry said in a statement.
He is believed to have been leading logistics operations for “Mayo Zambada,” a notorious narcotics trafficker linked to the powerful Sinaloa cartel.
“It should be noted that the accused is considered the main producer of fentanyl and methamphetamine pills, in addition to carrying out the large-scale transfer of cocaine from Central and South America to the U.S,” the statement continues.
According to the ministry, the detainee was transferred to the Specialized Prosecutor for Organized Crime (FEMDO) in Mexico City.
