Notorious Mexico drug lord Hector Beltran Leyva captured by soldiers
Boss of gang known for its brutality had been leading low-key lifestyle in a quiet town
Notorious drug lord Hector Beltran Leyva has been caught by soldiers at a seafood restaurant in a picturesque Mexican town.
The government's announcement on Wednesday that it had snared the boss of the Beltran Leyva cartel is a big blow to a gang named after a group of brothers who became infamous for the bloody turf war they waged with their former ally, Joaquin "Shorty" Guzman.
Beltran Leyva was caught in San Miguel de Allende town, a three-hour drive northwest of Mexico City, and had been living in the nearby Queretaro city posing as a businessman dealing in art and real estate.
Beltran Leyva, 49, and an associate were carrying military-issue handguns, but like his adversary Guzman, he was arrested without a shot being fired. Guzman, who was the world's most wanted drug boss, was captured in Mexico in February.
Beltran Leyva shunned lavish living, passing himself off as a well-off businessman, said Tomas Zeron, director of criminal investigations at the attorney general's office.
"He kept his operations away from his home so as not to alter his discreet, low-key lifestyle, avoiding attracting the attention of neighbours or friends or the authorities," Zeron said.
Beltran Leyva now faces charges of trafficking cocaine from Mexico and South America to the United States and Europe.