La Familia cartel leader arrested in Mexico

Jose de Jesus Mendez Vargas, a.k.a. "El Chango Mendez", the alleged leader of the criminal organization known as "The Family", is presented to media at the Comander Center of the Federal Police, in Mexico City, capital of Mexico, June 22, 2011. Police arrested Mendez on Tuesday in the state of Aguascalientes. (Xinhua/Claudio Cruz)

Mexico's federal police on Tuesday arrested Jose de Jesus Mendez, leader of a notorious drug cartel for producing tons of synthetic drugs.

Mendez, the alleged leader of the drug cartel La Familia Michoacana, was detained in the western state of Aguascalientes Tuesday morning and later brought to Mexico City, the Public Security Ministry said.

The arrest of Mendez, also known as "El Chango," marked the loss of another senior leader for La Familia Michoacana. One of its bosses, Nazario Moreno Gonzalez, was killed last December.

"Today, a devastating blow has been delivered to the criminal organization 'La Familia'," said Alejandro Poire, technical secretary of the National Security Council.

The arrest of Mendez followed several weeks of drug cartel violence in Michoacan, where dead bodies had been dumped along major highways and vehicles had been hijacked to impede police and military actions.

Source: Xinhua

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