Mexico Drug War: Top cartel leader arrested

The Mexican Federal Police captured Jose de Jesus Mendez Vargas, leader and founder of the criminal organization The Family (La Familia) in the state of Aguascalientes on Wednesday, the Ministry of Public Security said.

Police captured the suspected leader of the cult-like drug cartel in the latest blow to a gang that was until recently one of the most notorious in the country, Reuters reported.

Mendez was arrested at a highway checkpoint in central Mexico, and no shots were fired, according to the government and prosecutors.

Also known by his nickname El Chango, or The Monkey, Jesus Mendez Vargas is one of the most wanted criminals in Mexico and the government of Mexico offered a reward of 30 million dollars for information leading to his arrest.

Mendez was the main culprit responsible for crimes related to drug trafficking in the United States, Mexican authorities said.

This action was a result of following lines of investigation by the Federal Police of 40 members of The Family within the limits of the states of Jalisco and Michoacan where he also secured an arsenal, the Federal Police of Mexico stated on its official site.

In May several clashes happened in the state of Michoacan between groups controlled by Jose de Jesus Mendez Vargas. Mendez reportedly convened a meeting on May 27, 2011 in the village of Las Lomas, Jalisco, with other operators, the place where the federal police deployed a major operation where they detained 40 suspected members of their group crime, officials said.

The arrests generated lines of research that led to the arrest of Jose de Jesus Mendez Vargas , in the state of Aguascalientes. Mendez was held along with four companions of his security.