Military Sources Confirm Arrest of El Werko, the Tropa del Infierno Leader

"HEARST" for Borderland Beat 

As a follow up to yesterday’s story in which Tropa del Infierno leader Fernando de Jesús Rodríguez Adame, alias “El Werco” or “El Werko” was rumored to have been arrested, military sources consulted by Excelsior have now confirmed the arrest.

More Details

Now however, news publications such as El Universal, Proceso and the aforementioned Excelsior detail that on the day in which he was captured eight Tropa del Infierno men were killed, not arrested as previously reported.

Proceso writes the clash that killed eight was a separate incident that occurred shortly after Werko’s arrest. The attack was intended to free Werko but eight hitmen died as a result and Werko was evidently not freed. The number of casualties or injuries on the military/law enforcement side of this clash has not been released. 

Excelsior’s military sources who had confirmed the arrest declined to comment on the time of day in which El Werko was captured but they did confirm that it occurred sometime during August 9, 2021 while in the Francisco Villa neighborhood of Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas.

The CDN Response to his Arrest

Members of the Northeast Cartel (Cártel del Noreste, CDN) and its armed wing Tropa del Infierno, which El Werko led up until this arrest, began having confrontations with law enforcement authorities and members of the military soon after hearing of Werko’s arrest. They also began setting up a series of roadblocks allegedly on the instruction of Werko’s brother, Alberto Rodríguez alias “El Malito” or “El Mallito”, the same brother who was decrying the arrest of Werko on social media. 

On the same day he was captured, there were clashes reported near the Poliforum León, a conference and event venue. This clash caused a group of elderly people who were enrolling in a social program to have to throw themselves down to the ground to prevent a stray bullet from hitting them.

The next day narcoblockades (narco created road blockades) were established in areas such as the Corona bridge, the Eva Sámano Ave bridge and at the Polyforum. Videos that were released on social networks show where a head of the family tries to keep his youngest children calm, saying "tranquilo" (or "quiet") when a rattle of machine guns is unleashed.

Video Source: FronteraRV

On the American side of the US-Mexico border, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers assigned to the international Puerta de las Américas bridge uploaded videos in which the shootings in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas could be heard.

Video Source: Antonio Aranda

To follow, a story on the various connections El Werko has to the original Los Zetas Treviño Morales brothers and an overview of some of the recent CDN leaders that have fallen, either captured or killed. 

Sources: Excelsior, Proceso, El Universal, Lopez Doriga, FronteraRV