Drug cartel boss nabbed at birthday party

Drug cartel boss nabbed at birthday party

Gilberto Barragan Balderas (centre), Eduardo Mejias Gonzalez (left) and Sergio Guerra Castro are arrested at a party in Mexico

Mexican federal police captured a leading member of the Gulf drug cartel at his birthday party.

Gilberto Barragan Balderas was also the subject of a US$5mil (RM15mil) reward by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), said Ramon Pequeno - head of anti-drug operations for the federal police.

He was allegedly in charge of the cartel's operations in Miguel Aleman, across the border from Roma, Texas.

Police captured him at a party, to celebrate Barragan Balderas's 41st birthday that fell on May 19, at a ranch near another border city, Reynosa in Mexicoon Friday.

Two alleged associates were also arrested in the raid, which also netted an assault rifle and three pistols.

Barragan Balderas is wanted on drug trafficking charges in the US under a 2008 indictment.

A DEA statement said he was "responsible for obtaining advanced notice regarding the movement and locations of military and state police patrols and mobile checkpoints, thus protecting shipments of cocaine and marijuana for the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas" before the two gangs split in 2010.

The Gulf and Zetas are now bitter rivals, and federal police said one of Barragan Balderas duties was to defend territory in Tamaulipas against attacks by the rival Zetas.
Source: AP