Police in Cancún arrested 10 presumed members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) for possession of drugs and firearms on Sunday.
Quintana Roo Attorney General Oscar Montes de Oca told a press conference that the people arrested were planning to establish a center of operations for the cartel in the popular tourist destination.
He also said that they are believed to have already carried out murders and kidnappings of rival gang members in the city.
Among the 10 was a man identified as José R., who is believed to be the leader of the CJNG’s illicit activities in Cancún.
“From the investigations we were able to determine that one of the people arrested, who responds to the name José R., is identified as the leader of this criminal cell and that he was about to establish an operations center in the city,” said Montes de Oca.
The arrests were carried out in two separate operations. Six were arrested in the first when police found them moving guns from a building to a vehicle outside.
Authorities seized five .223-caliber rifles, 381 rifle cartridges, 135 bags of marijuana, tactical gear, shirts similar to those worn by state and municipal police, radio broadcasting equipment, cellphones, handcuffs and hats bearing the initials CJNG.
Montes de Oca noted that another of the objects seized was a state police riot helmet bearing the name Archi. The discovery could shed some light on the killing of state policeman José Antonio Archi Yama, who was murdered in Cancún in September of last year.
The second operation led to the arrests of four more presumed CJNG members and the seizure of 175 bags of marijuana, two pistols — a 9mm and a .40-caliber — and ammunition.
The detainees were brought before a local judge to be tried by the delegation of the federal Attorney General’s Office and investigated on charges of possession of firearms and drugs and other federal crimes.
“For its part, the state Attorney General’s Office is continuing to consolidate its investigations to avoid impunity,” said Montes de Oca.
Source: El Universal (sp)
