Mario Núñez Meza, alleged leader of a Sinaloa cartel cell working for Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, was detained on Wednesday, August 28 by Mexican authorities in Ciudad Juárez, the governor of Chihuahua, César Duarte, told the media.
According to Univisión, Núñez Meza was captured in a hotel in Ciudad Juárez, which served as a safe house. During the arrest, 14 explosives matching those used in the car bomb attack in Ciudad Juárez in 2010 were found.
At the time of his capture, Núñez Meza, or "M10", was sought by agents of the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), Interpol and Mexican authorities. He is attributed with hundreds of deaths in Durango and Chihuahua.
In a press conference, César Duarte, governor of Chihuahua, stated, "In today's operation in a hotel in Ciudad Juárez, Mr. Mario Núñez Meza, also known as M10, was captured. He was sought by agents of the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), Interpol and Mexican authorities."
After his capture, "M10" was transported to Mexico City, where he will be delivered to the Deputy Attorney Specialized in Organized Crime Investigation to face a criminal trial. Núñez Meza has two standing arrest warrants in the United States for weapons and drugs trafficking.
"The first elements we have that link this person are very bloody events in Durango and Chihuahua, and according to his statement, hundreds of homicides in Durango mostly," explained the governor of Chihuahua, according to La Crónica.
According to state authorities, "M10" worked as an alleged financial operator of the Sinaloa cartel, and is also considered to be one of the closest men to the leader of that cartel, Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán.