Federal forces capture two cartel chieftains in Jalisco

Authorities captured two drug lords this week, one a leader of Los Zetas and the other a godson of the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.

José Roberto Stolberg Becerra, also known as “La Barbie” and one of the main leaders of Los Zetas la Vieja Escuela (Old School Zetas) was detained in a residential complex in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga, Jalisco, during an operation by federal forces.

Police seized packets of cocaine, marijuana and methamphetamines ready for sale, along with two vehicles.

According to federal authorities, Stolberg has been an active part of the leadership of Los Zetas la Vieja Escuela since 2016 when the group, together with two other gangs, split off from the main branch of the Zetas cartel, itself notorious for brutal murders, torture and beheadings.

Tamaulipas authorities say the faction has been responsible for a wave of violence in the state in recent years.

A judge issued an arrest warrant for Stolberg in June of last year for ties to organized crime and kidnapping. In December, the Attorney General’s Office offered an award of 1.5 million pesos (US $80,000) for information leading to the cartel leader’s capture.

Another Jalisco arrest took place in Zapopan where federal forces captured Adrián Alonso Guerrero Covarrubias, known as “El 8” or “El M,” godson of Jalisco cartel boss Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes. He was arrested for ties to organized crime and kidnapping.

Authorities told reporters that Guerrero was an important regional leader in his godfather’s cartel, with territorial control in the Ciénega and northern Los Altos regions in Jalisco, along with southeastern Guanajuato. The cartel is one of the most powerful in Mexico and has been responsible for a dramatic increase in violence in several states in recent years.

Source: Milenio (sp)