Federal authorities along with the State Police of Querétaro arrested Vicente "N", alias "La Garza", an alleged leader of the criminal group Los Ardillos and one of the main generators of violence in the state of Guerrero, according to the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC).
The capture of "La Garza" took place days after Governor Mauricio Kuri met with García Harfuch, head of the SSPC, following the attacks carried out in the Mr. Barbasy Los Cantaritos bars in the capital, where 13 people were killed and another 13 were injured.
According to the federal agency, the capture occurred during a surveillance patrol on the Libramiento Norte, where the alleged criminal leader was identified aboard a vehicle with two men, who apparently were carrying firearms. The individuals were intercepted and subjected to a search, during which two handguns and two packages of drugs wrapped in duct tape with the image of a squirrel were found.
In a statement, Omar García Harfuch highlighted the support of the authorities in Querétaro in this joint action. Subsequently, "La Garza" was arrested along with his companions, named Julio César "N" and Kevin Said "N", and referred to the Public Ministry.
According to SSPC, "La Garza" was being investigated by the National Intelligence Center for being the alleged leader of a criminal cell in Tecoanapa, with a presence in Ayutla de los Libres and San Marcos in Guerrero.
In a meeting between the state governor and the SSPC secretary, a joint work agreement was made between federal and local entities to combat organized crime, as the attacks in the capital's bars were related to a confrontation between two criminal groups from Guanajuato and Jalisco.
"We are in full coordination with the federal government to protect Querétaro households. Investigations and actions continue to weaken this criminal structure and reduce violence in the entity," the governor stated in a release.
The main objective of the three levels of government is to work together regardless of colors or parties to prevent violence from spreading and contaminating society.
