Mexico's Federal Police have reported successes in their struggle against the emerging Caballeros Templarios drug gang, including the arrest of a key financial operative.
On Saturday, the Public Security Ministry (SSP) reported the arrest of Cristina Guadalupe Iniestra Medina, alias “La Cris.” She was captured in the city of Zitacuaro, in the group's home state of Michoacan.
According to the authorities, Iniestra was responsible for managing a portion of the group's funds, reporting directly to German Ivan Rivera Aguilar, who received orders from gang head Servando Gomez Martinez, alias "La Tuta."
Earlier in the week federal forces detained Victor Chavez Gomez, alias “El Ruso,” in the Michoacan municipality of Lazaro Cardenas. He was a driving in a car that was found to have been stolen from the state of Tamaulpias.
Gomez allegedly admitted to being a member of the criminal group, and having taken part in an attack on federal agents on July 7 in the city of Apatzingan.
The Caballeros Templarios (Knights Templar) is an offshoot of the Familia Michocana, a drug trafficking organization which operates mainly in the state of Michoacan. Like its progenitor, the Caballeros promotes a quasi-religious ideology. The group is currently a priority target of the Mexican government.
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