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Mexico arrests Zetas cartel leader Omar Trevino Morales | Mexico arrests Zetas cartel leader Omar Trevino Morales |
(35 minutes later) | |
Omar Trevino Morales, leader of the notorious Zetas drugs cartel in Mexico, has been captured by security forces. | Omar Trevino Morales, leader of the notorious Zetas drugs cartel in Mexico, has been captured by security forces. |
He was arrested in the early hours of Wednesday in the city of Monterrey in the northern state of Nuevo Leon, police said. | |
He is believed to have run the Zetas cartel since the capture of his brother, Miguel Angel, in 2013. | |
The arrest comes days after Mexican police captured another suspected drug lord, Servando "La Tuta" Gomez. | The arrest comes days after Mexican police captured another suspected drug lord, Servando "La Tuta" Gomez. |
Servando Gomez was the leader of the Knights Templar cartel in Michoacan state. | Servando Gomez was the leader of the Knights Templar cartel in Michoacan state. |
Heavy security | |
Omar Trevino Morales, known as Z-42, is wanted in the US and Mexico on charges of drug trafficking, kidnap and murder. | Omar Trevino Morales, known as Z-42, is wanted in the US and Mexico on charges of drug trafficking, kidnap and murder. |
The Mexican government had a 30m peso (£1.3m; $2m) reward for his capture while the US offered a $5m (£3.2m) reward. | |
Mexican media, citing officials, said he had been seized in the Monterrey suburb of San Pedro Garza Garcia in a joint operation by the army and the federal police. | Mexican media, citing officials, said he had been seized in the Monterrey suburb of San Pedro Garza Garcia in a joint operation by the army and the federal police. |
He is being transferred under heavy security to Mexico City, reports said. | |
Brutal cartel | |
The Zetas cartel is believed to be behind some of the bloodiest crimes carried out by Mexico's drugs gangs. | The Zetas cartel is believed to be behind some of the bloodiest crimes carried out by Mexico's drugs gangs. |
It was blamed for an arson attack on a Monterrey casino in 2011 that killed 52 people and for dumping 48 decapitated bodies near the city in 2012. | It was blamed for an arson attack on a Monterrey casino in 2011 that killed 52 people and for dumping 48 decapitated bodies near the city in 2012. |
Analysts say the cartel was weakened by the killing of former leader Heriberto Lazcano in 2012 and the capture of Miguel Angel Trevino Morales in 2013. | Analysts say the cartel was weakened by the killing of former leader Heriberto Lazcano in 2012 and the capture of Miguel Angel Trevino Morales in 2013. |
The Zetas were created in the 1990s as the enforcement arm of another powerful criminal gang, the Gulf Cartel. | |
They were made up of defectors from an elite military unit and quickly became known for their brutality. | They were made up of defectors from an elite military unit and quickly became known for their brutality. |