Mexican authorities arrested Marcelino “N”, the alleged leader of the criminal organization ULIDEPS. He is accused of extortion under the guise of a “social group” supporting street vendors. The arrest took place in the Ecatepec municipality, where the suspect was found in possession of firearm magazines, cartridges, and drugs. Marcelino, known by the alias “El Marce,” posed as the leader of ULIDEPS, committing acts of extortion and express kidnappings in the Fraccionamiento Las Américas area. He is also linked to previous criminal activities in the Gustavo A. Madero mayor's office. The arrest was a priority objective due to his role in generating violence in Ecatepec and his connection to another false social leader, Guillermo Fragoso, who is currently a fugitive. Fragoso led the USON criminal group, which, under the facade of a union and social organization, committed extortion and robberies in municipalities such as Ecatepec, Tecámac, Chalco, Coacalco, La Paz, and Teotihuacán in the State of Mexico. The operation involved the Criminal Investigation Agency (AIC) and the Specialized Prosecutor's Office for Organized Crime (FEMDO) of the FGR, with the support of the Task Force of the Mexican Secretariat of the Navy (Semar). At the time of the arrest, Marcelino “N” was seized with two loaded magazines for a 5.56 x 45 mm caliber pistol; 46 useful cartridges for various firearms, over 1.5 kilograms of the presumed drug known as crystal, a gram scale, 2 mobile phones, an olive green tactical vest, cards presumably used for collecting “drop-by-drop” type loans, stickers of shock groups identified in the Ecatepec area as the USON, and other bank cards and personal identifications. Following the capture, the individual was made available to the Specialized Prosecutor's Office for Organized Crime (FEMDO) of the FGR, based in Mexico City, for the charges to be brought against him. It should be noted that the so-called “drop-by-drop” loans are usurious loans that charge daily interest, making them unpayable for the victims. Criminal groups that engage in these crimes pass themselves off as members of cartels such as the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and the “Tepito Union” to extort businesses, sell drugs, and try to intimidate those who cannot pay the loans with daily interest.
