Cancun drug cartel suspect arrested

MEXICO CITY, Mexico (CNN) -- The Mexican military has arrested a suspect identified as the head of a drug cartel in the Yucatan Peninsula, federal defense ministry officials said.

Juan Manuel Jurado Zarzoza, known as El Puma and El R, was arrested Saturday, along with three other suspects, authorities said.

Jurado was in charge of the Cardenas Guillen cartel operations in Cancun and was involved in the killing of retired army Gen. Mauro Enrique Tello Quiñones in February, the defense ministry said. Tello, who was tortured and shot 11 times, had just taken over as head of Cancun's anti-drug force less than 24 hours earlier.

The police chief in Cancun and others have been arrested in connection with the killings of the general and two aides.

Officials said Jurado was in charge of all of Cancun's drug activities, extortion, collection of protection money from some of the city's tourist businesses and kidnappings in the area.

Authorities confiscated nine large-caliber weapons, 10 small-caliber firearms, ammunition, 16 kilograms (35 pounds) of cocaine, 45 kilograms (95 pounds) of marijuana, 2,500 doses of crack cocaine and four vehicles, the defense ministry said.

In a separate development last week, the defense ministry said 25 men posing as soldiers had been arrested.

The men, dressed as soldiers, had been burning homes and businesses in the city of Nicolas Bravo in Chihuahua state, said Enrique Torres, the Mexican army spokesman in Chihuahua. Chihuahua is across the border from Texas.

In that raid, authorities said they confiscated 29 large-caliber firearms, three small-caliber weapons, more than 5,000 rounds of various caliber and five vehicles.

All About Mexico • Cancun • Drug Trafficking