Mexican Authorities Detain Top Cartel Leader 'El Inge' in Sinaloa
23:48 GMT 04.11.2021 (Updated: 00:37 GMT 05.11.2021)
© AP Photo / Fernando Llano
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Soldiers of the Mexican Army, the National Guard and agents of the Attorney General's Office of Mexico detained Armando N., alias "El Inge," leader of the Pacific cartel in Sinaloa, Mexico.
The raid was conducted on October 28, but was not reported until Thursday. Along with apprehending "El Inge," agents confiscated 118 kilograms of fentanyl paste, a narcotic opioid, and a laboratory used to produce the synthetic drug.
The haul of fentanyl is thought to be worth around $48 million at current street value, which would make it the largest seizure of its kind to date. Securing the lab, however, was of equal importance.
The Mexican National Defense agency believed the laboratory capable of producing 70 kilograms of fentanyl paste each month. Each kilogram of fentanyl paste can produce up to a million normal doses. The scale of the operation led the agency to believe its distribution footprint was international.
🇲🇽#MÉXICO | Capturan al líder del cártel del Pacífico, Armando “N”, alias el “El Inge”. Su detención, así como el de 4 de sus colaboradores se dio en Sinaloa y lo realizaron Elementos del Ejército y la Guardia Nacional.
— Rochex R. Robinson Bonilla (@RochexRB27) November 4, 2021
Tenían en su poder 118 kilogramos de fentanilo puro. pic.twitter.com/0n0ZM04u34
El Inge, the alleged leader of a criminal organization specializing in the production of fentanyl, faces organized crime charges in Mexico. Four of his collaborators were also apprehended.
Before executing the October 28 raid, crime units identified the property where the laboratory operated and an additional property used as a collection center.
Along with fentanyl paste and the equipment necessary to produce it, the raid netted five guns, 1,050 rounds of ammunition, and two cars. The team also discovered, in cash, $86,000 pesos and $14,600 USD.
