Another Capo Caught

Via the BBC:  Mexican Tijuana cartel boss Sanchez Arellano ‘captured’

The Mexican army says it has captured the leader of the once-powerful Tijuana cartel, Luis Fernando Sanchez Arellano.

In the 1990s, the cartel controlled much of the drugs flow from the northern Mexican city of Tijuana to the United States.

But it was dealt a severe blow after the arrest of four of the brothers leading it and the killing of a fifth.

Luis Fernando Sanchez Arellano is the nephew of the Arellano Felix brothers who originally founded the cartel.

Blame el Tri and the Mundial:

An army official said Mr Sanchez Arellano was captured on Monday afternoon shortly after the Mexican football team reached the last 16 of the Fifa World Cup by beating Croatia.

The security forces often time their raids to coincide with holidays or events when they know their target and its bodyguards may be less vigilant.

FILED UNDER: Crime, Latin America, World Politics, , ,
Steven L. Taylor
About Steven L. Taylor
Steven L. Taylor is a Professor of Political Science and a College of Arts and Sciences Dean. His main areas of expertise include parties, elections, and the institutional design of democracies. His most recent book is the co-authored A Different Democracy: American Government in a 31-Country Perspective. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Texas and his BA from the University of California, Irvine. He has been blogging since 2003 (originally at the now defunct Poliblog). Follow Steven on Twitter

Comments

  1. Barry says:

    “The Mexican army says it has captured the leader of the once-powerful Tijuana cartel, Luis Fernando Sanchez Arellano.”

    That doesn’t sound impressive. It sounds like a weakened former threat was finished off. Heck, it could have been the more successful cartels which paid for this.