- Title: USA: Mexican authorities arrest 10 alleged drug traffickers
- Date: 13th February 2009
- Summary: MEXICO CITY, MEXICO (FEBRUARY 12, 2009) (REUTERS) POLICE VEHICLE GUARDED BY FEDERAL AGENTS ARRIVING AT POLICE STATION ARRESTED MEN BEING LED OUT FROM VEHICLE BY POLICE VARIOUS OF ARRESTED MEN BEING PRESENTED TO MEDIA WITH SEIZED WEAPONS AND DRUGS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) POLICE COMMISSIONER, RODRIGO ESPARZA, SAYING: "There is a battle for territory, for this municipality (Tultitlan) between these two criminal gangs. The activity of police is based, as we have said on previous occasions, on intelligence work which allow us to locate and detect these organizations. Actions were conducted at the same time in the same area and these people were caught following the same procedure. We would've wanted both arrests to happen simultaneously, but they occurred in previous days. As you can see, they are opposing gangs fighting for control of the area." POLICE OFFICER ARRANGING SEIZED BULLETS VARIOUS OF SEIZED DRUGS, WEAPONS AND MONEY POLICE ARRANGING SEIZED OBJECTS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) POLICE COMMISSIONER, RODRIGO ESPARZA, SAYING: "Some of them (alleged hitmen) have been linked to some police officers; that's what they told us here. It's our job and that of the federal prosecutor's office to confirm that. Until now, we have our suspicions and have facts and as you may understand the details need to be dealt stealthily because the operation continues; this is a permanent job." ARRESTED MEN LEAVING PLACE WHERE THEY WERE PRESENTED AND ESCORTED BY FEDERAL AGENTS ARRESTED MEN BEING TAKEN INTO VEHICLE TO BE TRANSPORTED TO DIFFERENT LOCATION POLICE GUARDING VEHICLE POLICE STATION
- Embargoed: 28th February 2009 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Usa
- Country: USA
- Reuters ID: LVA3FBZJLC85Q6XTKBS99LNT7VDU
- Story Text: Mexican authorities say they've dismantled a criminal network and arrested 10 alleged hitmen working with the Beltran Leyva brothers drug trafficking cartel.
Mexican authorities said they arrested 10 alleged hitmen on Thursday (February 12) working with the main operator for the Beltran Leyva brothers drug trafficking cartel, Edgar Valdez Villareal, known as "La Barbie" (The Barbie).
The alleged hitmen-- 8 men and 2 women between 17 and 36 years of age-- were caught during an operation in the municipality of Tultitlan, located in the state of Mexico, on the outskirts of Mexico City. Police said they were hired to assassinate members of the rival criminal gang known as "La Familia" (the Family).
In a similar operation on Tuesday, the police arrested 10 alleged members of "La Familia" and searched three Tultitlan houses, seizing dozens of weapons and three vehicles.
"La Familia" - who deals in extortion, homicide and drug trafficking - mainly operates in the state of Michoacan but have extended their operations to other Mexican states.
Both criminal gangs had been fighting for control of the same territory.
"There is a battle for territory, for this municipality (Tultitlan) between these two criminal gangs. The activity of police is based, as we have said on previous occasions, on intelligence work which allow us to locate and detect these organizations. Actions were conducted at the same time in the same area and these people were caught following the same procedure. We would've wanted both arrests to happen simultaneously, but they occurred in previous days. As you can see, they are opposing gangs fighting for control of the area," Police Commissioner Rodrigo Esparza told reporters.
Police seized dozens of weapons, hundreds of unused rifle cartridges, drugs, five vehicles, identification cards and cell phones during this operation.
Esparza said some of the arrested men were linked to police officers.
"Some of them (alleged hitmen) have been linked to some police officers; that's what they told us here. It's our job and that of the federal prosecutor's office to confirm that. Until now, we have our suspicions and have facts and as you may understand the details need to be dealt stealthily because the operation continues; this is a permanent job."
In January, Mexican troops arrested Alfredo Beltran Leyva, a leading member of one of the country's two main drug gangs, in a plush area of the northwestern city of Culiacan and seized nearly a million dollars.
The Sinaloa gang is in a bitter fight with the rival Gulf Cartel, based south of Texas, for control of smuggling routes.
On Wednesday, Mexican soldiers backed by helicopters and small planes hunted for drug hitmen working for Mexico's most-wanted man Joaquin "Shorty" Guzman after a gun battle along the U.S. border killed 21 people.
President Felipe Calderon's launched an army-backed war against drug gangs in late 2006. Calderon says an unprecedented 6,000 people died in drug violence last year. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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