Key gang member ‘is arrested in Tijuana’
A key figure in the Mexican drug wars has been caught by officials, latest reports show.
Captured at the border city of Tijuana, Juan Francisco Sillas Rocha, 34, marks a significant arrest for those trying to tackle the ongoing violence and corruption in the country, Associated Press reports.
The man in question was allegedly a key member of the Arellano Felix cartel, which operates in Tijuana and Mexicali and controlled drug importation into the US in the 1990s.
Army spokesman Ricardo Trevilla said that Rocha shot and wounded two unidentified rivals driving through the city on Saturday (November 5th) and shortly afterwards was caught by waiting police officers.
The violent act is similar to many carried out by the cartel before – from 2007 to 2009 they were notorious for causing brutal killings and fights between rivals.
Rocha is also suspected of kidnapping three women from the family of Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, who leads the Sinaloa cartel along with Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, one of the most wanted men in the world.
The Arellano Felix – also known as the Tijuana cartel – has been severely weakened by arrests in recent months, the New York Times reports.
