Justice in Mexico

Financial Officer of Gulf Cartel Captured

09/13/2011 — Mexican marines (Secretaría de Marina Armada de México) captured fugitive cartel leader Manuel Alquisires García, “El Meme”, also known as Agustín Sánchez Morúa, on Saturday September 10 in the city of Tampico, Tamaulipas. Alquisire has been operating as the financial officer for the Tamaulipas-based Gulf Cartel since 2002.

Photo Credit: AP. Manuel Alquisires Garcia, “El Meme”, the Gulf cartel's alleged finance officer was captured by marines on Saturday in the city of Tampico.

According to the Assistant Attorney General’s Office for Special Investigations on Organized Crime (Subprocuraduría de Investigación Especializada en Delincuencia Organizada, SIEDO), Alquisire’s location was received from an anonymous tip and further investigated with the assistance of naval intelligence. The tip led authorities to a residential address, which was guarded by armed persons. Upon arriving, naval personnel reported that a vehicle quickly reversed out of the garage and was soon surrounded by soldiers. Alquisires then fled the vehicle and ran with a gun back into the house where Mexican marines subsequently detained him. Alquisires was searched and had thirty rounds and a large gun on his person. The capture also uncovered an arsenal of weapons, cash, and jewelry. Among the items seized included two gold plated pistols and a stash of gold jewelry. Marines also confiscated four vehicles, nine handguns, three rifles, a modified grenade launcher, 21 chargers, four silencers, two pipes, 704 cartridges, $73,000 (USD) in cash, and communication equipment.

Photo Credit: Associated Press

El Meme was originally arrested in June 1998 along with Osiel Cardenás Guillén. Cardenás later escaped and went on to become the Gulf Cartel’s leader before being recaptured in 2003. In 2006, Cardenás was extradited to the United States and sentenced to 25 years in federal prison. In 2002, Alquisires escaped from a prison in Matamoros, across the border from Brownsville, Texas. Los Zetas hit men, who at the time were still allied to the Gulf Cartel, allegedly orchestrated his escape. He had since evaded authorities.

Sources:

“Cayó ‘El Meme’, operador financiero del Cártel del Golfo.” Univision. September 13, 2011

Gomora, Doris. “Semar reaprehende a operador del cartel de Golfo.” El Universal. September 13, 2011. 

“Mexico recaptures drug cartel outlaw 9 years later.” Associated Press. September 13, 2011.

Mosso, Rubén. “Capturan a “El Meme”, presunto operador financiero del Cártel del Golfo.” Milenio. September 13, 2011. 

Satherley, Jessica. “The man with the golden gun: Mexican gangsterparaded with his bling.” Daily Mail UK. September 13, 2011.

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