SEMAR goes hunting for Mayo Zambada in Culiacan, they arrest "El 19"

Borderland Beat

(SinEmbargo) - . Since the early hours of this day, the Federal government is conducting a security operation in Culiacan, capital of Sinaloa, the operation is being conducted by members of the Attorney General 's Office ( PGR ) the Navy ( Semar ) and the Federal Police (PF ) in order to capture Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, leader of the Sinaloa cartel .

According to Government sources, 10 suspected members of the criminal organization have been arrested as a result of similar raids in Tijuana and Culiacan in previous days, including a man known as "El 19" , alleged leader of sicarios for Ismael Zambada. The same sources claim the apprehension of a man known as "El Compa Omar" whose role was to organize and operate the smuggling of drugs from Sinaloa to the United States. 

Ismael Zambada aka "El Mayo", "MZ", "Padrino" and "El M grande" is one of the main leaders of the Sinaloa cartel . His career as a drug trafficker dates back to the 70s. Zambada began his involvement in the world of drug sales thanks to his brother in Law Juan José Parra aka "El Diablo" , who married Ana María Zambada García and to then Parra´s legal counselor, Juan José Esparragoza Moreno aka "El Azul".

According to Mexican press, an operation was carried out on February 13 in Culiacan, ending with the arrested of five alleged members of Zambada´s criminal organization, they were in possession of an arsenal consisting of 91 firearms, cartridges of various calibers, four vehicles, and 286 thousand Mexican pesos. Four of those arrested were taken to the Federal Corrections Center  #3 in Matamoros, Tamaulipas. The subject identified as "El 19 " , was sent to Cefereso  #1 in Altiplano, Estado de Mexico. 

As announced, during a second operation conducted on February 14 in Tijuana, five others were arrested in possession of two guns, a hand grenade and three vehicles with secret compartments for drug smuggling.

This afternoon , the Governor of Sinaloa, Mario López Valdez, confirmed that the Mexican Navy is responsible for the overall operational control after a shootout in the state capital. 

At a press conference in the Mazatlan, the Governor said state forces remain on their bases, and mentioned a commitment by the federation to inform the results of the deployment in a public statement.

Malova said that's all He could reveal for now in order not to hinder investigations. 

Earlier today, federal forces raided a house in Colonia Libertad, near Sandino high school and one more in Rio de Humaya street between Ruby and Manuel Bonilla in the Guadalupe neighborhood where a black Mercedes Benz was seized. 

From the first minutes of today Special Forces of the Mexican Navy have besieged the city of Culiacan, where several cells of marine personnel have been deployed backed by helicopter gunships are targeting organized crime in different parts of the city.

Reports of low flying Helicopters began to be made, after members of the Navy faced a convoy of armed men in the town of Culiacancito.

Afterwards, elite members of the federal forces began night overflights and a impressive ground deployments to Culiacan , where they allegedly raided residences in La Campiña, Tres Rios and the area of the Universidad de Occidente.

SOURCE http://www.sinembargo.mx/17-02-2014/907312