Drug Cartel Leader Captured in Northern Mexico Esprit Smith - CNN go to original June 11, 2010
Mexico City - The alleged leader of a regional branch of the Los Zetas drug cartel was arrested by the Mexican Army Wednesday, Mexico's state news agency Notimex reported.
Hector Raul Luna Luna, known by the alias "El Tori" was arrested during a "precision operation" by the personnel of the Seventh Military Zone in Monterrey, in northern Mexico, the agency said.
The military command said that Luna confessed to participating in a grenade attack on the U.S. Consulate in Monterrey on October 12, 2008, under the orders of Sigifredo Najera Talamantes, alias "El Canicon" who was arrested on March 20 of last year, Notimex reported.
There is also evidence that Luna was responsible for killing six members of the Mexican Army and was the perpetrator of an attack against the secretariat of public security in the municipality of Escobedo, in Coahuila state, near the Texas border, and the subsequent attack on the then-secretary of public safety, retired general Hermelindo Lara Cruz.
The military also arrested one of Luna's accomplices, David Eduardo Fuentes Martinez, known by the aliases "El Chile" and "El Mantequilla," who was carrying an array of weapons, including a 55 mm Barrett rifle, commonly used for piercing through shields and other materials, said Notimex.
Brig. Gen. Edgar Luis Villegas Melendez said in a news conference Thursday that the alleged criminals were arrested as part of the country's comprehensive strategy to combat drug trafficking.
During the arrests, the military also seized weapons including a 40 mm grenade launcher, a 5.7 x 28 mm pistol, two fragmentation grenades, two 40 mm grenades, chargers and 30 cell phones.
Additionally, they seized 20 kilograms of marijuana, 110 doses of the same material, and 58 doses of cocaine, Notimex reported.
Luna and Fuentes Martinez were brought to the facilities of the secretary of national defense Thursday.
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