Mexican authorities captured Arturo Gallegos Castrellón, alias “El Farmero,” the alleged leader of the Aztecas criminal gang.
Authorities stated he is responsible for 80 percent of the over 4,000 homicides in Ciudad Juárez in the last 15 months – including the murders of a US consulate worker and her husband in March of this year and that of 15 youths in January – a hard fact to swallow under any circumstances.
While some Mexican news organizations seem to accept the authorities version without question, others put it in perspective.
Gallego told authorities that the massacre of the youths in January, which provoked a nationwide outcry, was a mistake. Authorities, however, did not elaborate on the plan to assassinate the U.S. consulate worker and her husband.
The Aztecas emerged in prisons in the United States and are one of several bi-national gangs. It is thought to be an armed wing of the Juarez Cartel, although it has independent operations selling drugs in several Mexican and US cities.