[LATimes] The top leader of Mexico's notorious Gulf cartel has been tossed in the slammerYou have the right to remain silent...
while shopping in south Texas, U.S. officials said Tuesday.
Juan Francisco Saenz-Tamez, 23, of Camargo, in Tamaulipas state, was indicted by a U.S. grand jury in September 2013 on charges of drug trafficking stretching from Texas and Florida to Washington, D.C., and the Eastern Seaboard.
Saenz-Tamez, who officials say rose through the ranks to lead the violent cartel, was captured Oct. 9 by federal agents while shopping in Edinburg, Texas.
He is charged with conspiracy in the shipping of thousands of pounds of cocaine and marijuana across the U.S.-Mexico border and with money-laundering.
U.S. officials hailed the arrest as a sign of cooperation between law enforcement agencies in the two countries.
Saenz-Tamez made an initial appearance in court Tuesday. He is being held in Beaumont. Prosecutors said they hoped to seize up to $100 million in assets he acquired during his alleged drug enterprises.
If convicted on all charges, he will face a maximum of life in prison.