Pubdate: Sat, 09 Aug 2003 Source: Herald Sun (Australia) Copyright: 2003 News Limited Contact: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/187 MEXICO CAPTURES 'CARTEL KINGPIN' DOZENS of special agents and soldiers today escorted alleged kingpin Jose Ramon Laija onto a federal plane and flew him to Mexico City to face charges he ran a powerful drug smuggling syndicate after its two top leaders were arrested. Anti-narcotics investigators say Laija, known as "Coloche", stepped in and took control of the ruthless Sinaloa cartel after gang leaders Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman and Hector Luis Palma were arrested. Laija and three other suspected drug smugglers was arrested in Tepic, the capital of the small Pacific Coast state of Nayarit, yesterday. Police in the Rodeo neighbourhood had stopped their van, had no number plates and was being driven in "a suspicious manner", according to a statement released today by the federal attorney-general's office. Upon searching the vehicle, authorities discovered two Kalashnikovs and a third rifle and two pistols. They also found hundreds of rounds of ammunition, a packet containing 300 grams of cocaine, another packet containing a small amount of marijuana and 200,000 pesos ($30,800) in cash. Arrested on drugs and weapons possession charges, Laija produced a false identification bearing the name Victor Manuel Ocampo. He and the others were taken into custody for questioning and, today, authorities decided to transfer them to Mexico City to broaden their investigation. Palma, known as "El Guero" or "Blondie", was arrested in 1995 and allegedly headed the Sinaloa gang, which is thought to control many key smuggling routes in the north-western state of the same name. Guzman was arrested in June 1994, but escaped from Puente Grande prison outside the western city of Guadalajara in January 2001. Guzman had been accused of helping Palma run the Sinaloa gang and was serving more than 20 years for criminal association and bribery. - --- MAP posted-by: Josh