A major military operation in northeast Mexico near the Texas border has netted another major drug trafficker, a leader of the Gulf cartel, according to an armed forces officer.
The officer, who was not authorised to speak to the press, would not name the person arrested but said he is being transported to Mexico City.
Mexican media reported yesterday that it is Mario Armando Ramirez Trevino, leader of the Gulf Cartel in Reynosa, who is responsible for much of the violence in the border city across from McAllen, Texas.
Tamaulipas state government spokesman Rafael Luque confirmed that there was a major operation of the Mexican army and marines about 1 pm local time with helicopters in the town of Rio Bravo. He could not confirm if anyone was killed, injured or detained.
Ramirez, who was born in 1962 according to the US government, is one of the top leaders of the once-powerful Gulf Cartel, now plagued by infighting and under attack by its former security arm, the Zetas. The Mexican government in recent years has made major hits on the cartel, including the arrest nearly a year ago of leader Jorge Eduardo Costilla Sanchez, alias "El Coss."
The US State Department is offering a reward of USD 5 million for Ramirez's capture. He is wanted on several federal drug violations.
The Gulf Cartel has controlled most of the cocaine and marijuana trafficking through the Matamoros corridor across the border from Brownsville, Texas.
