Mexico deports alleged gang leader ‘El Huevo’ after arrest sparks attacks

A violent gun fight between the military and gang members ensued on the Mexico-US border, authorities said

Authorities in the avocado-growing zone of western Mexico said five suspected drug cartel gunmen have been killed in a massive firefight between gangs (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Mexico deported the suspected leader of a drug gang to the United States, authorities said on Tuesday, after an arrest sparked armed attacks on almost two dozen military installations and a U.S. consulate.

Juan Gerardo Trevino, also known as “El Huevo” or “The Egg”, was arrested on Sunday in the northern Mexican border state of Tamaulipas. He was wanted for crimes including drug trafficking and money laundering.

“It was a blow to one of the most important criminal organizations in the northeast of the country, with influence in at least five states and operations in the United States,” Rosa Rodriguez, Mexico‘s secretary of security, said in a press conference.

The capture of “El Huevo” in one of the most violent regions of the country generated armed attacks by the gang, the Northeast Cartel, against 22 military installations, 16 road blockades and collateral damage to the U.S. consulate in Nuevo Laredo, local authorities said.

Mexican secretary of foreign affairs, Marcelo Ebrard, described the arrest of “El Huevo” as “one of the most important arrests of the last decade”, on CB Television.

A few days earlier, local authorities had announced a £760,000 reward for his capture.

Secretary of National Defence and Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection took part in a press conference in Mexico City on 15 March to report the arrest of ‘El Huevo’. (AFP via Getty Images)

Juan Gerardo Trevino, alleged leader of the Northwest Cartel, was deported to the United States on Tuesday. (AFP via Getty Images)

Authorities sent more than 700 military personnel and four helicopters to secure the area, in the border city of Nuevo Laredo, following the attacks on Tuesday.

Trevino is connected to the family that allegedly founded the Los Zetas cartel, whose leader, Heriberto Lazcano “El Lazca,” a former military man, was killed by Mexican soldiers in October 2012.

A truck is seen set ablaze in the Mexican border city of Nuevo Laredo following the arrest of the alleged gang leader Juan Gerardo Trevino, also known as, ‘El Huevo’ (@HIRAM_AR via REUTERS)

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has said one of his administration’s main challenges is to combat the violence in the country, which has been incessant for years.

He has faced criticism from his detractors for his security policy, based on the slogan “Hugs, not bullets.”