A federal judge condemned a cartel leader to 12 years in jail after finding him guilty of drug trafficking and illegal possession of firearms, Mexico's Prosecutor-General (PGR) said.
Martin Rosales Magana alias "El Terry" is considered by the government as one of the founders of the La Familia Michoacana cartel, which has terrorised the western state of Michoacan for the past decade.
The sixth district court of Toluca ruled that Rosales was guilty of drug trafficking, carrying military weapons and illegal ammunition, Xinhua news agency reported.
The judge also condemned three other men linked to Rosales to prison terms between six years and nine months and almost 10 years.
Rosales was captured in October 2011 by the federal police in Michoacan in an operation carried out after receiving information from the US.
--IANS
qd/mr