Mexico's Army reported on Tuesday (06.12.2022) that it had captured a drug trafficker suspected of being the alleged regional leader of the Jalisco Cartel - New Generation (CJNG) in the western Mexican state of Michoacan.
Meanwhile, the Attorney General’s Office (FGR) indicated that the arrested man was identified as Humberto L. C. and/or Diego Armando I. P., alias “El Panther,” the regional head of the CJNG in Uruapan, Michoacan’s second most important city and the main avocado export production area.
In a statement, the Army indicated that the subject was captured by a group of agents who deployed an aerial and ground operation last Sunday, between the towns of Matanguarán and Cutzato, in the forested area of Uruapan, where the alleged drug trafficker maintained a camp with hired killers.
The soldiers detained the drug lord in possession of a .50 caliber Barret anti-aircraft rifle, as well as eight assault rifles, a grenade launcher, three .40 caliber grenades, four bulletproof vests, two tactical helmets, magazines and useful cartridges. His assassins fled into the bushes.
The FGR reported that “El Panther” is facing an arrest warrant for the crime of aggravated kidnapping, and is identified as responsible for organizing drug production and trafficking in the region, as well as ordering extortion of avocado growers and the theft of high-end vehicles.
Mexican authorities also revealed that the capo and his group of hitmen were linked to the murder of 16 people in the Uruapan region, as well as two confrontations in the neighboring municipality of San Juan Nuevo between the CJNG and the Carteles Unidos criminal group, where four hitmen were killed, including a rival drug trafficker of the now arrested man.
According to information from the Mexican Army, “El Panther” is a trusted confidant of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes “El Mencho,” the CJNG’s top leader, for whom the US government is offering a $10 million reward.
Source: OEM
