Mexican authorities arrest Zetas drug cartel leader

USPA News - Miguel Angel Treviño Morales, the leader of the "Los Zetas" drug cartel and one of the most wanted men in the country, was captured in northern Mexico on Monday, the government announced. Two other cartel members were also caught.

Morales, who is also known as "Z-40," was captured on early Monday morning by elements of the Mexican Navy in Nuevo Laredo, a city in the northern state of Tamaulipas that borders the city of Laredo in the U.S. state of Texas. Not a single gunshot was fired during the operation. Speaking at a press conference on Monday evening, Eduardo Sanchez, a spokesman for Mexico`s Security Department, said the security operation took place at 3:45 a.m. local time when a helicopter belonging to the country`s Marines spotted and detained the suspect driving in a truck alongside two other people. The Marines later confirmed that among those three captured was Treviño Morales, as well as 29-year-old Abdon Federico Rodriguez and 28-year-old Ernesto Reyes Garcia. In addition, 2 million U.S. dollars, eight assault rifles, and 500 cartridges were seized from inside the truck. Seven different warrants had previously been issued for the arrest of Treviño Morales. The warrants were the result of twelve different investigations, including an investigation into the kidnapping and killing of 265 immigrants in the city of San Fernando in the state of Tamaulipas. Treviño Morales was previously the regional leader of the Los Zetas criminal organization, and known to be the group`s second in command. Following the death of leader Heriberto Lazcano Lazcano in October 2012, Treviño Morales succeeded him to become the cartel`s leader. The U.S. Department of State had been offering a $5 million dollar reward for information leading to Treviño Morales` arrest, while Mexico had been offering $30 million pesos ($2.3 million dollars). Information about the other two arrested suspects was not immediately released.