EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) – Mexican authorities say they arrested a Tren de Aragua leader who ran sex-trafficking and kidnapping rings in three states, distributed drugs and is a suspect in several femicides.
Mexico City police backed by soldiers and National Guard members apprehended Nelson Arturo Echezuruia Alcantara, aka “Nelson,” and two alleged accomplices in possession of drugs, Public Safety Secretary Omar Garcia Harfuch said on Tuesday.
The men carried 44 small bags of crystal methamphetamine, 18 meth “rocks” and marijuana; a records check revealed that Echezuruia, 29, had arrest warrants on charges of organized criminal activities including human and drug trafficking, the Public Safety Ministry said in a statement.
Echezuruia, Lucas Alberto Vielma Rojas, 37, and Marcos Gabriel Ortega Sortillo, 36, are Tren de Aragua members conducting operations in the states of Morelos, Puebla, Mexico State and in Mexico City, Harfuch said. The three are Venezuelan citizens who arrived in Mexico in recent years, officials said.
Echezuruia “is identified as one of the principal operators of the criminal group Tren de Aragua. He is considered the intellectual and hands-on author of several femicides and other crimes such as extortion, homicide and drug trafficking,” the public safety secretary said.
Tren de Aragua is a Venezuelan prison gang that has expanded its operations in the Western Hemisphere in recent years. Its members have been linked to crimes in Mexico and the United States.
Harfuch did not share details about the femicides. Last December, Mexican authorities announced the arrests of five Tren de Aragua members they accused of recruiting women for prostitution and being responsible for the killing of two aged 19 and 21.
Tren de Aragua since at least 2018 has compelled women wanting to migrate out of Venezuela into prostitution in lieu of smuggling fees, NBC reported in March. Prosecutors in the United States have charged Tren de Aragua members with crimes in at least 14 states.
U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson acknowledged the latest arrest of TDA members in Mexico.
“Congratulations! Greetings to your team. This is good for the Mexican people,” Johnson posted on X.
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