Mexico City - Mexican federal forces arrested the son of the Jalisco New Generation drug cartel's leader on Tuesday, officials said, dealing a blow to a gang that has violently defied authorities.
It is the second time that authorities arrest Ruben Oseguera, the son of Nemesio "El Mencho" Oseguera, as he was released in December due to lack of evidence.
Ruben Oseguera, alias "El Menchito" (Little Mencho), was arrested by federal police and soldiers in Zapopan, a suburb of Jalisco state's capital, Guadalajara, a federal official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
A second official said he was arrested in the early morning and transferred to the federal prosecutor's office in Mexico City.
"It's a very important arrest," said Javier Oliva, security expert at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. "It is without a doubt a blow that can diminish the cartel's strength."
The western state of Jalisco is the bastion of the New Generation, which has killed some 30 police officers and soldiers since March and on May 1 downed a military helicopter with a rocket-propelled grenade.
Federal police killed 42 suspected cartel members on a ranch in the neighboring state of Michoacan on May 22.
Authorities say they died in a gunfight, but the National Human Rights Commission is investigating whether abuses were committed after the lopsided death toll raised questions. Only one officer was killed.
AFP
