Pubdate: Sat, 15 Mar 2003 Source: Los Angeles Times (CA) Copyright: 2003 Los Angeles Times Contact: http://www.latimes.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/248 Author: Marla Dickerson MEXICO ARRESTS ALLEGED DRUG LORD The Reputed Capo Of The Gulf Cartel Is Seized After A Savage Firefight In City On Border With Texas MEXICO CITY -- Soldiers from the Mexican military seized reputed narcotics kingpin Osiel Cardenas in a wild shootout near the Texas border Friday, striking a blow at one of this nation's most brazen drug cartels. At least three soldiers were injured in the firefight that raged for more than an hour on the streets of Matamoros, a gritty industrial city across the border from Brownsville, Texas. Cardenas was taken by plane to an undisclosed location after his capture, the result of a six-month investigation, according to Mexican authorities. The alleged head of the Gulf drug cartel and one of Mexico's most wanted men, Cardenas likewise faces charges in the United States, where he is accused of involvement in drug trafficking, organized crime, money laundering and assaults on U.S. federal agents. So audacious was the 35-year-old former police officer, say U.S. authorities, that he threatened to kill two U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration officials during a confrontation on the streets of Matamoros in 1999, then threw a raucous party the next day to celebrate his exploits. The State Department had offered a $2-million reward for his capture. "This is the latest of a series of impressive blows dealt by the administration of President Vicente Fox to dismantle the major drug-trafficking cartels," the department said in a statement released Friday. Cardenas' arrest is the latest in a series of high-profile strikes against Mexico's powerful drug cartels, which until recent years had operated with near impunity. In May, Mexican soldiers captured Albino Quintero Meraz, a major trafficker aligned with the Juarez cartel. Two and a half months earlier, authorities toppled the leadership of the violent Tijuana drug mafia, nabbing the cartel's alleged boss, Benjamin Arellano Felix, and killing his brother Ramon in a shootout. Under Fox, Mexico has also made progress in rooting out corruption among police officers who aid drug cartels. In January, soldiers and police shut down 11 offices of the Federal Special Prosecutor's Office for Drug Crimes, roughly the equivalent of the DEA, searching for evidence of corruption among agents. American drug enforcement officials were effusive Friday in their praise of Fox, who is credited with sparking a new spirit of cooperation between U.S. and Mexican law enforcement. "The arrest of Osiel Cardenas is a testament to the hard work and diligence of the Mexican authorities and the Fox administration," said John B. Brown III, acting administrator of the DEA. "With Cardenas' arrest, yet another violent and dangerous drug trafficker -- in this case, one who has also directly threatened federal drug agents -- has been taken off the streets." A onetime police communications specialist, Cardenas allegedly switched sides and rose quickly through the ranks of the region's drug trade. The Gulf cartel, which is based in Tamaulipas state, smuggles cocaine and marijuana into the United States. The cartel was considered the most powerful along the border until then-leader Juan Garcia Abrego was captured in 1996. He was turned over to U.S. authorities and later sentenced to 11 life terms in Texas. Last March, Mexico arrested the alleged No. 2 figure in the Gulf cartel, Adan Medrano, in Matamoros. Federal prosecutors believe Cardenas was trying to rejuvenate his empire by forging an alliance with the Juarez cartel, which operates across the border from El Paso, Associated Press reported. Friday's shootout, which began just before 10 a.m., sent bystanders scrambling as bursts of automatic weapons fire ricocheted through the border city's streets. "It was really ugly, lasting more than an hour," said Rigoberto Ramos, a reporter with the Matamoros daily El Bravo. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens