Cartel chief El Tío Lako’s daughter and associate arrested as hearth chaos sparked in Mexico
The arrests took place during co-ordinated raids in the towns of Tinaja de Vargas and Colesio, in the municipalities of Tanhuato and Ecuandureo, and sparked a furious reaction from the cartel
Cartel leader El Tío Lako(Image: X)
The wife and partner of cartel leader El Tío Lako have been arrested in a daring swoop by cops in Mexico. The women, identified only as Marisol ‘N’ and Lourdes ‘N’, were busted alongside seven other members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).
The gang is now headed by El Tío Lako, real name Heraclio Guerrero Martínez, who took over after former boss Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes – aka El Mencho – was killed by the Mexican military.
The latest arrests took place during co-ordinated raids in the towns of Tinaja de Vargas and Colesio, in the municipalities of Tanhuato and Ecuandureo. They sparked a furious reaction from the cartel, who torched buildings and blocked roads with burnt out vehicles.
Nine cartel members were arrested in total(Image: Security Cabinet of the Government of Mexico)
A spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense said: “Among those arrested are Marisol ‘N’ and Lourdes ‘N’, identified as the daughter and romantic partner of Heraclio ‘N’, aka Tío Lako, the regional head of this criminal organization in the states of Michoacán and Jalisco.”
Since taking over from El Mencho, Martínez is accused of ordering a series of revenge attacks on members of the National Guard in retribution for the wanted drug lord’s death. The military said 64 vehicles, including one armoured, was seized during the raids.
Also seized was a a .50 caliber machine gun, four 5.56mm caliber Minimi machine guns, nine long guns, a handgun, two grenade launcher attachments, drugs, eight improvised explosive devices, seven motorcycles and a drone.
Cops in the area took measure to prevent road blocks from the cartel(Image: Constitutional Governor of the State of Michoacán de Ocampo)
The bust sparked a furious backlash from gang members who set fire to buildings and caused road blockades with torched out vehicles, a common cartel tactic.
The cartel members were transferred in a Mexican Air Force helicopter to be placed at the disposal of the Attorney General’s Office (FGR), based in Mexico City, to continue with the investigations.
President Claudia Sheinbaum said: “There is an operation underway to apprehend one or more high-profile targets. The Security Cabinet will release more information later, which is why some locations were secured. The Ministry of Defense is already on site, along with all necessary support personnel.”
Drug lord El Mencho was killed earlier this year(Image: DEA)
Infamous cartel leader El Mencho was killed in major operation carried out by the army in February. One of Mexico’s most wanted men, the US State Department had previously offered a reward of up to $15million for information that would lead to his arrest.
Donald Trump’s administration even designated the CJNG as a foreign terrorist organization earlier this year as part of the US President’s cartel crackdown.
