Mexico Gulf Cartel leader Mario Ramirez Trevino captured

BBC News, 18 August 2013

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The Los Zetas cartel was the armed

force of the Gulf cartel until 2010

Mexican troops have captured one of the country's most wanted drug-gang leaders.

Mario Ramirez Trevino, known as X-20, is said to be the head of the cocaine and marijuana-smuggling Gulf Cartel.

It is the second high-profile arrest since President Enrique Pena Nieto came to power last December.

The US government was offering a reward of $5m (£3.2m) for information leading to the capture of Mr Ramirez, while Mexico offered about $3m.

Ramirez Trevino is thought to have taken over as leader of the Gulf Cartel after the arrest of Jorge Eduardo Costilla, known as The Coss, last September.

Mexican media reported that the drug lord was arrested by a joint Army and Marines operation in Rio Bravo, in the northern Mexican state of Tamaulipas.

'As violent as Trevino Morales'

The interior ministry confirmed the arrest on Twitter.

"This morning, the Mexican Army has captured Mario Armando Ramirez Trevino," it said.

The Mexican authorities are expected to make a formal announcement of the arrest on Sunday and have so far not provided much detail on the arrest.

The leader of the Gulf Cartel was wanted by US authorities since 2006.

He is considered "at least as violent" the leader of the notoriously brutal Zetas cartel, Miguel Angel Trevino Morales, who was also arrested last month.

Authorities believe he had enough influence to attempt unifying the Gulf and Zeta cartels, which used to be one organisation until its leadership split up in 2010, Mexican media reports.

The Zetas began as the enforcement arm of the Gulf Cartel.

Trevino Morales was detained in July

This is the second high-profile arrest since President Enrique Pena Nieto took office last December.

In July, authorities announced the arrest of Miguel Angel Trevino Morales, the alleged leader of the brutal Zetas.

Mr Pena Nieto promised to change the policy of the previous government by tackling cartels through law enforcement on a local level rather than the capture of big-name targets.

Ex-President Felipe Calderon had deployed the army across the country and pursued cartel leaders.

Although the policy eliminated many senior criminal figures, it also created power vacuums that helped fuel the violence.

Related Article:

Mexico arrests Zetas cartel leader