Arellano Félix boss arrested in Tecate

Police detain several drug-dealing suspects

TIJUANA – A routine police stop in Tecate led to the detention at dawn Saturday of a high-ranking lieutenant in the Arellano Félix cartel and the dismantling of his drug network, Baja California police announced.

He was identified as Juan Carlos Flores, 28, nicknamed "El Argentino," who authorities believe is the second in command in the criminal organization headed by Fernando Sánchez Arellano, known as "El Ingeniero."

Flores had been operating four months in Tecate, where he was allegedly in charge of collecting for use of the territory to sell drugs and distributing drugs at houses across the city.

According the state police, the dismantling of the Arellano drug network in Tecate began when state police officers on routine patrol stopped the driver of a Suburban around dawn Saturday.

A search of the driver, identified as Martín Chávez Zatarain, 27, yielded 45 grams of methamphetamine, a plastic bag containing marijuana and a scale, according to the announcement.

Chávez led police to Encinos Boulevard, where he told them that "El Argentino" would be delivering more drugs to him. That's where a Ford Escort was parked occupied by Flores and another man identified as Pedro Gómez Osuna, 43. The officers asked them to step out of the car.

Flores was allegedly carrying a .357 Magnum, with six live rounds plus 13 more in this his pants pocket, while Gómez was carrying a wrapper holding methamphetamine.

The officers found inside the car a .223 caliber weapon, with 20 live rounds, and two packages that contained marijuana, which weighed a total almost 21 pounds.

Based on the information obtained from the detained, state police continued the operation on Zacatecas Street in a neighborhood called Ejido Baja California, where Juan Carlos Morales Chaparro, 25, and Irma Serrano López, 42, where arrested. He allegedly had 22 small bags of marijuana and she had 27 doses of the meth.

According to the state police agency, the suspects said they worked for the criminal organization headed by Fernando Sánchez Arellano. They were turned over to federal judicial officials.

Omar.millan@sandiegored.com

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