News Americas, MEXICO CITY, Mexico, Fri. Aug. 5, 2011: The alleged number two financial operator of the Zetas drug cartel in Mexico has been captured.
Mexican military officials say they have nabbed Valdemar Quintanilla Soriano in the northern city of Saltillo in Coahuila state.
“During the last months, Quintanilla Soriano often travelled to Monterrey in Nuevo Leon, Saltillo and Monclova in Coahuila to coordinate finance matters as well as the payment to authorities working for the criminal organization,” said Colonel Ricardo Trevilla, spokesman for Mexico’s National Defence Secretariat.
Weapons and cash were also found at the scene.
Another Zetas suspect, Jose Guadalupe Yanez Martinez, was also detained. The arrest comes about a month since Jesus Enrique Rejon Aguilar, another key Zetas suspect, was arrested.
The Zetas were formed by former Mexican special forces soldiers but have since split with their former paymasters, and have been engaged in brutal turf wars for control of smuggling routes.
