| Submit your comments on this article |
| Caribbean-Latin America |
| Mexico arrests an alleged Baja California drug cartel leader following shared information with the U.S. |
| 2026-07-25 |
| [SDUT] Mexican officials said that Héctor Manuel Gil GarcÃa, also known as "El Kado," was arrested in Yucatán during a federal operation An alleged cell leader for the Arellano Félix Organization, a Baja California-based drug cartel, has been arrested in the southeastern Mexican state of Yucatán, officials said. The arrest of Héctor Manuel Gil GarcÃa, also known as El Kado, was first announced Thursday by Mexican Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection Omar GarcÃa Harfuch in a social media post, saying it was made possible through an exchange of information with U.S. agencies. He referred to Gil GarcÃa as a "priority target." Although he did not name the criminal organization, GarcÃa Harfuch said Gil GarcÃa was a leader of a group "responsible for coordinating drug trafficking operations to the United States, as well as carrying out extortion, homicides, and other violent acts in Baja California." Several Mexican news outlets have reported that Gil GarcÃa is believed to be a leader of an Arellano Félix Organization cell. On Friday, Baja California authorities confirmed to the Union-Tribune that Gil GarcÃa is allegedly part of that criminal group. During Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s daily press conference on Friday, GarcÃa Harfuch said that Gil GarcÃa lived and ran operations from Quintana Roo, a Mexican state located about 2,000 miles away from Baja California. The country’s top security official added that the suspect was arrested during a federal operation in Valladolid, a municipality in Yucatán, which borders Quintana Roo, as a result of surveillance and tracking efforts. The arrest operation was carried out by members of the Mexican Navy Secretariat, Mexico’s Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection, the Attorney General’s Office and the National Intelligence Center. It was not immediately clear if Gil GarcÃa faces charges in the U.S. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in San Diego, which has been the primary prosecuting office for Arellano Felix cartel cases in the U.S., declined to comment Friday. Related: Arellano Félix: 2010-06-10 More Mexican Mayhem Arellano Félix: 2009-01-19 Tijuana: 21 law officers accused of protecting drug cartel Arellano Félix: 2008-11-01 Police in Baja under the gun Related: Baja California: 2026-07-08 Toyota to invest $3.6B in plant expansion, will shift Tacoma production from Mexico to Texas Baja California: 2026-07-03 DOJ Sues to Stop California's GLOCK Ban and End Its State-Approved Handgun Roster Baja California: 2026-07-03 Mexico Demands Proof After U.S. Treasury Sanctions Cartel Businesses Funding Mexican Political Campaigns |
| Posted by:Frank G |