Mexican security forces, acting on U.S. intelligence, arrested the accused leader of La Linea crime organization in the border town of Ojinaga, Mexico and U.S. authorities said.
The arrests of Epifanio N., known as "Pepa," and his son Alejando N. went down on Tuesday, Sept. 8, in an operation involving the Mexican military and National Guard troops and federal agents in Ojinaga, Chihuahua, located across the Rio Grande for Presidio, Texas, Mexico's Security Cabinet said on a post on X.
La Linea is also known as the Juárez drug cartel, which earlier this year was declared a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
"This is the first high-profile
takedown of a key 'La Línea' leader since its Foreign Terrorist Organization designation," U.S. Northern Command stated on X.
Mexico's Security Cabinet described "Pepa" as a regional cartel leader accused of overseeing drug production and trafficking as well as the smuggling of migrants from Mexico into the United States. He was arrested on a provisional warrant for extradition on drug charges.
U.S. Northern Command said that the U.S Joint Interagency Task Force-Counter Cartel provided "critical intelligence support" along with a Homeland Security Task Force and the U.S. Marshals Service.
During the raid, Mexican forces seized a building, five firearms, 400 rounds of ammunition and two vehicles, Mexican authorities said.
The arrests in Ojinaga follows a show-of-force display by U.S. federal law enforcement agencies and the Mexican army on Aug. 13 along the Rio Grande on the El Paso-Juárez border that was intended as a message against the Juárez cartel.
Daniel Borunda may be reached at dborunda@elpasotimes.com and @BorundaDaniel on X.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Working with US, Mexico arrests reputed key La Linea leader 'Pepa'
