Cancún, Quintana Roo -
In the heart of this international tourist mecca Mexican army regulars today captured the local Gulf Cartel "boss of the plaza." Prosecutors say he is wanted for drug trafficking and at least three homicides, including the execution of two men whose bodies were dumped on prominent Kukulcán boulevard in September 2012. Red alert in Cancún hotel zone.
That case surprised local law enforcement officials because of its occurrence in the Cancún tourist district, a space not commonly invaded by sicarios, the cartel execution teams.
The Gulf Cartel is one of Mexico's largest and most violent criminal organizations, responsible for thousands of drug war killings. It maintains a heavy presence along the Rivera Maya in Quintana Roo state, where it has been locked in a deadly struggle with competing narcotics traffickers for over a year - especially with Los Zetas, an equally vicious group. Cartels unite to declare war on Los Zetas in Cancún, foreshadowing "bloodbath" in Riviera Maya.
The 48 year old man taken into custody today is a Veracruz native. Authorities say he was in charge of collecting the proceeds from narcotics sales in bars and other public establishments in Cancún. He was arrested in front of a hotel on Tulum avenue, apparently under the influence of drugs himself. The man offered some resistance, but was subdued by troops operating jointly with state judicial police.
Gulf Cartel handiwork along Cancún's priciest real estate, September 2012
Last year a ranking Sinaloa Cartel narco boss in Cozumel and Playa del Carmen was arrested at a routine traffic checkpoint in Mérida, the same month as the Kukulcán event.
Apr. 14 - Eight found executed in Cancún; taxi drivers with Gulf Cartel links suspected
Mar. 19 - Expanding Gulf Cartel likely behind three recent Riviera Maya atrocities
Feb. 1 - Yucatán safety continues to be subject of hot debate
Feb. 1 - Thank God for the Mexican army
© MGRR 2013. All rights reserved. This article may be cited or briefly quoted with proper attribution or a hyperlink, but not reproduced without permission.
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