CIUDAD VICTORIA, Mexico — An alleged top boss of the Gulf drug cartel was captured by Mexican marines Monday in the northern border state of Tamaulipas, which for years has been terrorized by gangland violence. A state government official with knowledge of the case confirmed that the detained man was Jose Alfredo Cardenas, alias “the Accountant” and “Mr. Polite.”He is nephew to the brothers and former Gulf cartel leaders Osiel and Antonio Cardenas; the former is in a U.S. prison, while the latter was killed by Mexican security forces in 2010. Tamaulipas, a key corridor for smuggling drugs and migrants to the United States, has long been plagued by cartel violence. Tamaulipas recorded 805 murders across the state last year, up sharply from 595 in 2016, according to federal government statistics.

Source: Washington Post February 20, 2018 00:08 UTC