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| CAPTURED |
Borderland Beat posted by DD republished from ABC News
UDATES; The arrest took place in a safe-house in San Pedro Garza García, New León and was carried out by the Marines and Federal Police. According to Reforma about 50 elements of the Federal Police and Marines carried out the operation and federal officials described it as a "clean operation" and that no shots were fired. and the operation was directed from Mexico City.
According to neighbors the Marines and Federal Police started about midnight in establishing a perimeter of about 200 meters around the house and this was later expanded when elements of the Army arrived and that the Army's role was limited to maintaining the perimeter. Only residents who were verified to live in the area were allowed entry to the colonia called Fuentes del Valle. No elements of the municipal or state police were involved "because it was a federal operation".
Milineo reported that San Pedro Garza García, where the leader of The Zees was captured, is the richest municipality of the country where many of the richest businessmen in Mexico live.
SinEmbargo said Trevino was charged with possession of illegal arms intended for exclusive use of the military and being involved in organized crime. He also has indictments in the US for cocaine trafficking from Mexico to US.
It also said that with this arrest, 91 members of criminal organizations have been arrested or killed out of a total of 122 priority objectives set by the government of Enrique Peña Nieto at the start of his term in December 2012. (DD; I have never seen a published list of those 122 "priorities".)
The actual detention operation began about 4:AM and the Marines, Federal Police, and the elements of the Army left the scene with Omar Trevino about 7:55 in a convoy.
However, as strange as it seems, they did not secure the house to protect any evidence. A large garage door was left open and there was at least one woman inside the house who yelled at the mass media who were assembled outside the house, "Get back".
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| Trevino's safe house where he was arrested. |
The fact of it being another big arrest "with no shots fired", that the operation was directed from Mexico City, that media was present outside the house observing the events, and that the house was not secured to preserve any evidence that was possibly inside makes me wonder what is going on. Was this a staged event?
It is hoped that in the next hours a press conference should offer details of the detention of the absolute leader of The Zees, although there is not defined yet if it will be in the facilities of the Secretary of Government or in the PGR.
DD: Reports from many media sources are reporting the capture this morning of the alleged and presumed leader of the Zetas. Details of the capture are scant at this point, but we will be updating this as more info is reported. This report is from an AP story reported by ABC News. Reportedly Trevino was captured about 4:30AM and BB started receiving reports from readers as early as 5:28 AM.
From ABC :
Mexican police and soldiers arrested the Zetas drug cartel leader Omar Trevino Morales, alias "Z-42," on Wednesday, a federal official said.
Mexican police and soldiers arrested the Zetas drug cartel leader Omar Trevino Morales, alias "Z-42," on Wednesday, a federal official said.
The official, who was not authorized to be quoted by name due to government policy, said Trevino Morales was arrested in a pre-dawn raid in San Pedro Garza Garcia, a wealthy suburb of the northern city of Monterrey.
The Mexican government had offered a 30-million peso ($2 million) reward for his capture on weapons and organized crime charges.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration had offered a $5 million reward for his capture, saying he was wanted on drug-trafficking charges, but listed "Omar" as an alias and his given name as Alejandro.
The suspect is the brother of Miguel Angel Trevino Morales, described as the most bloodthirsty leader of Mexico's most violent cartel.
Miguel Angel was arrested in July 2013, almost a year after marines killed the Zetas' other biggest leader, Heriberto Lazcano "El Lazca."
The Zetas carved a path of brutality, bloodshed and mutilated bodies across northern Mexico during their turf battles with the rival Gulf cartel.
Much of the violence along Mexico's northeast border, however, is now due to internal battles among factions of the Gulf cartel.