MEXICO CITY, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Mexican authorities have arrested the alleged chief hitman for a drug cartel during an operation in the western state of Jalisco, the prosecutor-general's office (PGR) announced on Monday.
Juan Francisco "N", alias "Juan Pistolas", was identified by the PGR as the man charged with recruiting gunmen for Jalisco New Generation drug cartel in Guadalajara, the capital of the state of Jalisco.
The director of the PGR's criminal investigation agency, Omar Hamid Garcia, told the press that the arrest was made on June 9 and had dealt a significant blow to the cartel.
PGR agents and army troops made the arrest in a building of Tlajomulco de Zuniga, a municipality close to Guadalajara, he added.
"He probably enlisted people to the service of the criminal group in order to maintain control over the zones of Guadalajara and Tlajomulco de Zuniga from the presence of rival criminal groups," said Garcia.
According to investigations, those recruited by "Juan Pistolas" were then trained in weapons handling and tactical operations.
In a separate action on June 9, agents also arrested a suspected accomplice, who was tasked with guarding a firearms cache. This arrest took place in house in Zapopan, also near Guadalajara, where an arsenal was found.
"The capture of Juan Francisco 'N' affects, in a significant way, the distribution of drugs and weapons in the metropolitan area of Guadalajara, and the communications network of the criminal gang," added Garcia.
According to the PGR report, the suspect was allegedly operating under the orders of a lieutenant close to Nemesio Oseguera, alias "el Mencho", the top leader of the cartel and one of the most wanted men in Mexico and the U.S.
Garcia explained the two men had been charged with drug trafficking and violating laws against the carrying of weapons.
Jalisco New Generation is the cartel with the largest physical presence across Mexican territory, after having been created in 2010 by former allies of the Sinaloa cartel.
Authorities have blamed the cartel for a number of violent acts in Guadalajara this year, including the disappearance of three film students and an assassination attempt against the former Jalisco prosecutor-general. Enditem