Mexico arrests alleged son of drug lord

Bs_logoImage
AFP Mexico City
Last Updated : Jun 22 2014 | 10:25 AM IST
Mexican federal police captured a 22 year-old man who identified himself as the son of Servando "La Tuta" Gomez Martinez, leader of the Knights Templar cartel, officials said.
Huber Gomez Patino was arrested in the town of Arteaga, in the western state of Michoacan, a stronghold of the gang, the office of Mexico's federal police said in a statement.
The man "said that he was the son of Servando Gomez Martinez, and threatened federal agents with assassination if they did not release him," the statement said.
Gomez Patino had a weapon and half a kilo of a synthetic drug, but "was captured before he could put up any resistance," the statement added.
Servando Gomez, alias "La Tuta" ("The Teacher"), is believed to have become the de facto boss of the cult-like cartel after Mexican marines killed the group's top leader, Nazario "El Chayo" Moreno, on March 9.
Another honcho, Enrique "Kike" Plancarte, was killed by troops in late March. His uncle, Dionisio Plancarte, who was also a key leader of the gang, was detained in January.
The Knights Templar gang is a spin-off of the once dominant cartel in the region known as La Familia Michoacana.
Moreno founded La Familia, but the gang broke up after the government claimed to have killed him in 2010.
He turned out to have survived and founded the Knights Templar with Gomez Martinez, who has admitted being a criminal but claims his group wants "peace and calm" in Michoacan state.
Civilians formed vigilante forces in February 2013 to chase the cartel out of their towns, accusing local police of either turning a blind eye or colluding with the gang.
Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Access to Exclusive Premium Stories

  • Over 30 subscriber-only stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Jun 22 2014 | 10:25 AM IST